Next Book News! This Month with Even More OneFour Book News!

IT’S A ONEFOUR SUMMER GOOD NEWS EXTRAVAGANZA! This month we’re combining the Next Book News with our updates about how our debuts are doing for a big ol’ festival of book goodness.

We’ve debuted, we’re debuting and we’re selling more stuff! Check back on the 28th of each month to find out all the awesome Next Book News!

Skila Brown sold another book!

From the Publisher’s Marketplace announcement:
From the author of CAMINAR, Skila Brown’s WITH THE END IN SIGHT, told from a 19-year old’s point of view, one of the survivors from the ill-fated Donner party, about her family’s wagon train journey from Lacon, IL to the Sierra Nevada Mountains in 1846, to Liz Bicknell at Candlewick, by Tina Wexler at ICM (World English).

Skylar Dorset has an official title!

The sequel to THE GIRL WHO NEVER WAS has been titled THE BOY WITH THE HIDDEN NAME and will be released on December 2, 2014! (Yes, that’s six months from now!)

Erica Cameron has a sequel cover!

I now have a cover for the sequel to SING SWEET NIGHTINGALE! I present to you book 2 in The Dream War Saga, DEADLY SWEET LIES:

Nadette Lawson knows when you’re lying.

Every night for the past two years, the Balasura have visited her dreams, enticing her to enter their world. And every night she’s seen through their lies. Now, they’re tired of playing in the shadows and they begin to stalk her in the waking world. It’s no longer just an invitation; if Nadette doesn’t join them, they’ll take her family. Forever. She needs help, and the haven she’s seeking may be just out of reach.

Julian Teagan is a master of deception.

To survive, he has to convince the world his mother isn’t useless, that everything’s fine, otherwise he’ll lose what little he has left in this life. He knows the lying won’t be enough to keep him and his mother in the shadows, but it’s all he knows. The only light of truth is Orane, a Balasura who sees past Julian’s facade and challenges him to face the darkness.

Then Orane is killed, and Julian learns his mentor was far from innocent. The Balasura have hunted children like him for centuries, and their next target, Nadette is his one chance at finally being a part of something real. If Julian can just convince her to trust him…

See more information at thedreamwarsaga.com or byericacameron.com

More sequel news from Stephanie Diaz!

REBELLION, the sequel to EXTRACTION, will be released February 10, 2015.

Add it on Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/book/show/18625184-rebellion
Pre-order on Amazon: www.amazon.com/Rebellion-Stephanie-Diaz/dp/1250041252/ref=la_B00FI7SQ4M_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1402525743&sr=1-2

Jen Malone sold more books!

From PM:
Jen Malone’s YA debut WANDERLOST, in which a teen girl agrees to impersonate her older sister and fill in for her as a summer tour guide for a senior citizen bus trip through Europe; when their carefully constructed plan derails before she even makes it out of the airport and the tour owner’s cute son joins as a surprise guest, she’ll put her acting skills to the test, to Annie Berger at Harper Teen, in a two-book deal, by Holly Root at Waxman Leavell Literary Agency (World).

Rebecca Behrens sold another book!

From PW:
Jordan Hamessley at Egmont USA has bought North American rights to The Summer of Lost and Found, a middle-grade novel by Rebecca Behrens. In it, a girl’s father mysteriously disappears and her botanist mother drags her to Roanoke Island for a research trip, where she decides to solve the mystery of the Lost Colony. It will publish in spring 2016; Suzie Townsend at New Leaf Literary & Media brokered the deal.

Nicole Maggi has a cover!

HEARTLINES is a standalone thriller coming February 2015 from SourceBooks Fire.

An exciting new thriller from Nicole Maggi about a girl whose memories are slowly being taken over after a heart transplant from a murder victim.

Georgie Kendrick wakes up after a heart transplant, but the organ beating in her chest doesn’t seem to be in tune with the rest of her body. Why does she have a sudden urge for strawberries when she’s been allergic for years? Why can’t she remember last Christmas? Driven to find her donor, Georgie discovers her heart belonged to a girl her own age who fell out of the foster care system and into a rough life on the streets. Everyone thinks she committed suicide, but Georgie is compelled to find the truth—before she loses herself completely.

 

 

IN DEBUT BOOK NEWS:

 

FOUR STARRED REVIEWS for OTHERBOUND by Corinne Duyvis! School Library Journal gave OTHERBOUND by Corinne Duyvis its third starred review! “While Duyvis’s debut is an exciting take on the fantasy genre, as it alternates between our world and that of the Dunelands, the true strength of the novel is in its positive portrayal of LGBT issues. This becomes most important in establishing the character of Nolan, an adolescent who has experienced most of his adolescence from the perspective of a girl, and in the nuanced portrayal of Amara’s relationships.” In its FOURTH STARRED REVIEW, The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books praises OTHERBOUND’s “subtle, nuanced examinations of power dynamics and privilege” and calls it “a brilliantly paced edge-of-your seat adventure.” The review concludes, “Authors should take note—this is how you do fantasy in a global world.”

 

Joshua David Bellin‘s SURVIVAL COLONY 9 garnered two great blurbs in June:
“Joshua David Bellin brings serious game in a post-apocalyptic thriller that collides breathless action with devious world building and genuine heart. A terrific novel!” — Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of Rot & Ruin and V-Wars

“Set in a gritty post-apocalyptic world, SURVIVAL COLONY 9 is both an adventure and an exploration of what it means to be human.” –Margaret Peterson Haddix, New York Times Bestselling author of the Missing Series

 

Publishers Weekly says that AdriAnne Strickland “raises questions of identity and belonging” in her “fast-paced debut,” WORDLESS! Read the full review here.

 

Tara Dairman‘s ALL FOUR STARS got a rave review from Booklist: “Gladys is a lovable character with plenty of spunk and desire, and readers will happily cheer her on, while the fresh plot adds a delicious dimension to the host of stories set in sixth grade.”

Congratulations to the following OneFour authors recently nominated for YALSA’s Best Fiction for Young Adults list: BREAKFAST SERVED ANYTIME by Sarah Combs, CAMINAR by Skila Brown, FAKE ID by Lamar Giles, SEKRET by Lindsay Smith, A MAD, WICKED FOLLY by Sharon Biggs Waller, and THE VIGILANTE POETS OF SELWYN ACADEMY by Kate Hattemer.

 

Dana Alison Levy‘s THE MISADVENTURES OF THE FAMILY FLETCHER got a starred review from Kirkus, who said, “The Fletcher family rules!” It was also a Summer 2014 Kids’ Indie Next Pick and received a starred review from School Library Journal, who praised its “laugh-out-loud humor, and mix of zaniness and love. Fans of Beverly Cleary’s Quimbys, Judy Blume’s Hatchers, and, more recently, Jeanne Birdsall’s Penderwicks will fervently hope that more Fletcher misadventures are yet to come.”

 

THE ONLY THING WORSE THAN WITCHES by Lauren Magaziner got a starred review from Kirkus: “Magaziner’s youthful narrative voice is distinctly aural: Her characters swish and swoop, clomp and screech. Her storytelling cauldron mixes the right balance of bizarre and banal, and she turns up the heat as the witch exam approaches. Readers will banish themselves from the ordinary world to finish this book in a flash.” THE ONLY THING WORSE THAN WITCHES also got a wonderful review from Publishers Weekly: “The same goofy charm that Magaziner brings to the names of characters and settings (Mrs. Gummyum, Yammerstop Way) carries through to the details of witch life and logic in the town of Gliverstoll, resulting in a fun, frothy story that will, well, charm its readers.”

 

GILDED by Christina Farley was nominated for the Morning Calm Award in Korea in the high school division.

 

PUSH GIRL by Jessica Love and Chelsie Hill is out now, and Booklist says, “Authors Hill and Love write a moving novel…This is an emotional story with elements any teen reader can relate to, primarily the search for one’s own identity. Readers will be inspired and moved by Kara’s amazing journey.”

 

THE SECRET SIDE OF EMPTY by Maria Andreu won a National Indie Excellence® Book Award. School Library Journal says of THE SECRET SIDE OF EMPTY, “captivating,” and “Andreu deftly captures the protagonist’s desires, despair, and determination in this peek at a side of American life not often seen in YA literature”. The Cleveland Plain Dealer says, “This story is perfectly timed.”

 

Booklist says of Tracy Holczer‘s, THE SECRET HUM OF A DAISY, “Readers who appreciate the quiet confidence and maturity of Cynthia Rylant’s, Patricia MacLachlan’s, and Katherine Paterson’s protagonists will find a new author to enjoy.” It’s also an Indie Next Pick for summer, and was recently featured in the San Francisco Chronicle.

 

Lori M. Lee‘s GATES OF THREAD AND STONE sold World French rights to AdA.

 

The Indonesia publisher Fantasious has purchased the Bahasa translation rights to Danielle L. Jensen‘s STOLEN SONGBIRD and HIDDEN HUNTRESS!

 

Jaye Robin Brown, or JRo to most everyone but her mama, lives and writes in the Appalachian mountains north of Asheville, NC. She’s fond of dogs, horses, laughter, the absurd and the ironic. When not crafting stories she hangs out with teenagers in the high school art room where she teaches. Her debut novel, NO PLACE TO FALL (Harper Teen, December ’14), is a love song to small town girls and mountain music.

Cross-Train Your Brain for Creativity

When I visit classrooms to talk about the writing process of By the Grace of Todd, I emphasize cross-training your imagination for maximum creative output. The looks I get from fifth-grade boys when I tell them that football players take ballet to enhance their agility and flexibility!

So to battle the deadline-inducing drafting burnout, I’ve started learning an advanced kind of doodling called tangle art. My teenage daughter is great at it, and I decided I need to give it a whirl to help me relax before I write. It’s been a huge help in clearing out the creative cobwebs.

As someone who writes professionally (and sadly neglects journaling), it’s really beneficial for me to do something artistic that I don’t have to reach perfection at or worry about selling.

I’ve also started listening to my favorite chillaxing music more as I draw and write. This is includes classical guitar, harp, Mozart, Bach… But when I’m really in a slump, I pull out my BTGOT playlist (PressPlay and some random dance trance music that’s not too “trancy”) because my brain seems to click into productivity mode when it hears music that I’ve been productive with before.

I also try to cross-train by occasionally working on plays or short stories, which is how I got started writing. The different styles stretch my grey matter and keep my brain cells breathing.

But there is a cautionary tale in all of this. When I finally allowed the wannabe artist in me loose after so many years in captivity to my writing muse, it took over. In fact, my warm-up sessions became so all-consuming that there were many nights I never got to the main event of working on my manuscript. So now I try to quit after thirty minutes and use the drawing as a reward if the writing goes well. Or even if it doesn’t.

What about you? How do you stretch your creative muscles?

Louise Galveston is the author of BY THE GRACE OF TODD (Penguin/Razorbill Feb. 27, 2014). She and her husband live in the Midwest with their eleven kids and a parrot. When Louise isn’t writing or folding laundry, she directs her local children’s theater, where she’s playwright in residence.

When We Say YA: June Edition

It’s June, and it’s time for another edition of “When We Say YA”! This month, I asked my fellow One Four debuts the following question:

School’s out! How is the summer different for you as a YA writer (or reader)?

Here’s what they said:

This one is easy. I’m a high school art teacher who writes in the early morning hours before school. Summer means I get to sleep in a few extra hours, stay awake a few hours longer, and write to my heart’s content!–Jaye Robin Brown, author of No Place to Fall

Because I read YA year round as a buyer for an indie bookstore, each summer I do my “30 days of Middle Grade” project where I only read MG. During that month, I have a tantalizing stack of YA ARCs waiting to be read. It’s torture!–Catherine Linka, author of A Girl Called Fearless

Since I’m not teaching in the summer, it’s all about having extra time to write. I do have kids at home, but I find that I’m not nearly as exhausted as I am during the school year when I’m working so I’m able to stay up later or get up before my kids do. This is one of the reasons why summers are a magical time. It’s the time I get the most writing done.–Christina Farley, author of Gilded

I usually don’t get as much writing done in the summertime. This is when my kids are home, and we spend a lot of time hanging out at the pool and going places as a family, so I don’t have as much time to devote to my story notebooks. But I do have a lot of time to plot and plan and develop my characters in my mind as I hang out at the pool with my teens and their friends, so I guess it all balances out. –Veronica Bartles, author of Twelve Steps

Another teacher here, so my summers are completely dedicated to writing! Of course, I also have a ton of travel and fun things happening all summer long, but I have entire days I can dedicate to writing, so I get so much more done.–Jessica Love, co-author of Push Girl

My summers are pretty unusual because I commercial fish in Alaska (in Bristol Bay) for sockeye salmon. So I’m not getting any writing done at all in June and July, when I’m out on the boat or at the dock (which is where I am now, using insanely slow internet). I’m also not getting much reading time in, though I inevitably take ten books out each summer, read one and a half, and get the rest of them wet and wrinkled. As tough as the job is on me (and my poor books), it’s awesome–both because it’s crazy-fun and because the entire rest of my year is free for writing!–AdriAnne Strickland, author of Wordless

I always have big plans at the beginning of the summer. I’m going to write a ton; I’m going to garden; I’m going to do crafty crap with my kids and go hiking and swimming and take trips to the zoo; one day we’ll make pancakes shaped like states; the next we’re going to watch all the Spiderman movies in a single afternoon! It’s sort of a New Year’s Resolution kind of thing for me, though. I still have to get my freelance jobs done; I still have to do the necessary soap-based tasks to keep us from living in a big wooden health hazard. So I start the summer with all the ideas about things I’m going to get done, but really it’s just like the rest of the year, but with a bit more chaos and the occasional opportunity to sleep late.–Mary Crockett, co-author of Dream Boy

This is my first summer both as a writer with a set publication date, and as a new mother. My son is going to be a month old by the end of June, and I’m already exhausted! No break times for me for awhile, but it’s worth it!–Rin Chupeco, author of The Girl from the Well

Alas, no real difference for me. The sadness of being an adult with a year-round day job…–Dahlia Adler, author of Behind the Scenes

 

 

 

Joshua David Bellin has been writing novels since age eight (though his first few were admittedly very short). His debut YA science fiction novel SURVIVAL COLONY NINE will be published in September 2014 by Margaret K. McElderry Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. Josh likes (in no particular order) gorillas, frogs, monsters, and human beings.

BEHIND THE SCENES Release Day!

You see, children, sometimes, when a man, woman, or non-binary loves words very, very much, they spend an inordinate amount of time trying to twist them into something, and eventually, if they’re very, very lucky, they might end up with a book! It’s a very special, magical time, and with the right care and nurturing from skilled editors, publicists, and designers, not to mention emotional support from CPs, friends, and a fabulous debut group…okay, I’ve kind of gotten lost in my own metaphor here but HEY I WROTE A BOOK AND IT’S OUT TODAY.

High school senior Ally Duncan’s best friend may be the Vanessa Park – star of TV’s hottest new teen drama – but Ally’s not interested in following in her BFF’s Hollywood footsteps. In fact, the only thing Ally’s ever really wanted is to go to Columbia and study abroad in Paris. But when her father’s mounting medical bills threaten to stop her dream in its tracks, Ally nabs a position as Van’s on-set assistant to get the cash she needs.

Spending the extra time with Van turns out to be fun, and getting to know her sexy co-star Liam is an added bonus. But when the actors’ publicist arranges for Van and Liam to “date” for the tabloids just after he and Ally share their first kiss, Ally will have to decide exactly what role she’s capable of playing in their world of make believe. If she can’t play by Hollywood’s rules, she may lose her best friend, her dream future, and her first shot at love.

“Behind the Scenes is sweet, sexy, and satisfying. Once you start reading, you won’t want to stop!”Trish Doller, author of Where the Stars Still Shine

“Behind the Scenes keeps the promise of its title, ushering readers backstage in a Hollywood romance they won’t want to leave. I loved this book every bit as much as I expected.”
~Jennifer Echols, author of Biggest Flirts and Dirty Little Secret

Of course, what kind of wordplayer would I be if I didn’t share some “behind the scenes” info about the book? And so…

Five Fun Facts Behind the Scenes of Behind the Scenes

1. It’s the only book I’ve set in a real city having already been to that city (though Ally’s neighborhood is fictional)

2. No scenes were cut entirely during the process. However, many new scenes were added. At the end of the first draft, it was 67K. During revisions, I added 10K. During edits, I added 11K. So there’s been an entire novella’s worth added since my first betas read it!

3. French macarons were not mentioned in the book until the first round of edits. For anyone who knows me, that was clearly a grievous oversight.

4. French kissing was always in the book, though. A lot of it. Kissing scenes are by far my favorite scenes to write.

5. It will have a companion, Under the Lights, releasing on June 30, 2015. If you (have) read Behind the Scenes and want more Josh and/or Vanessa in your life, I think you’ll be pretty happy with it 🙂

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If you want to pick up a copy of Behind the Scenes, I’ll probably love you forever 🙂

For a signed copy, please order from Books of Wonder. Otherwise, check out these fine retailers:

IndieBound * Barnes & Noble * Amazon * The Book Depository

Thanks for celebrating my release day with me and for all your support of the fabulous OneFours!

Dahlia Adler is an Assistant Editor of Mathematics by day, a Copy Editor by night, and writes contemporary YA and blogs at the Daily Dahlia and YA Misfits at every spare moment in between. She lives in NYC with her husband and their overflowing bookshelves. Her debut novel, BEHIND THE SCENES, releases from Spencer Hill Contemporary on June 24, 2014.

The Author’s Voice: interview with OneFour author Rebecca Petruck

Raising steers and dealing with life’s curveballs: more similar than you might think!

Rebecca speaks with us about bovine cosmetics, big life changes, and her MG contemporary debut, STEERING TOWARD NORMAL (Abrams/Amulet, 2014).

 

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Kate Boorman is an independent artist and writer from the Canadian prairies. She was born in Nepal (where she was carried up the Himalayas in a basket) and she grew up in a small Albertan town (where she rode her bike to Girl Guides). She is fond of creepy things. Speaking of! Her YA fantasy WINTERKILL debuts September 9th, 2014 (Abrams/Amulet and Faber & Faber).

Friday Q&A

You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers! Every month, the OneFours answer questions about their books, writing processes, life, favorite flavors of ice cream, and more. This week’s question:

It’s time for summer vacation! Where would you love to go? Describe your ideal reading vacation and the book you’d most want to bring along. 

Image by Scott Raymond. Link

I would give a lot to be parked on a beach somewhere with a fruity, umbrella’d drink and Emma Traveyne’s CHORUS (sequel to CODA) which is waiting for me (the book, not the beach) as soon as I finish revisions on my 2015 book, WHAT REMAINS!

—Helene Dunbar, THESE GENTLE WOUNDS

MY KINGDOM to be on the beach in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, with a bucket of ice-cold beers, a never-ending supply of guacamole, and ISLA AND THE HAPPILY EVER AFTER by Stephanie Perkins in my lap.

—Jessica Love, PUSH GIRL

A hammock in Jamaica, steel drums in the background, a gentle wind purring through the palm trees, and reading DR. SLEEP by Stephen King.

—Jennifer Torres, THE BRINY DEEP MYSTERIES

My aunt and uncle’s bay house in Fairhope, Alabama would be ideal. I’d hang out on the hammock at the end of the pier and bring along Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy. I’ve read the first and have books 2 & 3 waiting for me on my bedside table.

—Jaye Robin Brown, NO PLACE TO FALL

My ideal reading vacation is on a small ship cruising the coast of Greenland. The glassed in observation deck up top would be the perfect place to drink tea and watch the changing light on the ice as I read Landline by Rainbow Rowell and Egg and Spoon by Gregory Maguire.

—Catherine Linka, A GIRL CALLED FEARLESS

My perfect reading vacation would be lying on a beach in Bora Bora sipping a cool drink and listening to the waves crash as my background music. I’d finally be able to finish Leigh Bardugo’s SHADOW AND BONE series. And then if there was time, I’d pull out VITRO by Jessica Khoury because that is the perfect beach read.

—Christina Farley, GILDED

My perfect reading vacation is always the beach, and if I got to pick any beach it would be the one I spent a weekend on when I was 20 in Sardinia–gorgeous crystal-clear water and Italian food, what’s not to like? When I’m beach reading, I love me a happily ever after, so I’d pick a couple of the romances in my TBR pike: BIGGEST FLIRTS by Jennifer Echols and 3 WEEKS WITH LADY X by Eloisa James.

—Lisa Maxwell, SWEET UNREST

There’s a certain spot on the beach on the Monterey Bay where I used to love sitting to read on a nice day. Even though I moved away years ago, I still think of it as the perfect vacation reading spot. Summer and beach calls for love and happy endings, so I think I’d have to have a stack of YA contemporary fiction on hand. Next up on my list: ISLA AND THE HAPPILY EVER AFTER by Stephanie Perkins, HOW TO SEDUCE A BAND GEEK by Cassie Mae, and DAMSEL DISTRESSED by Kelsey Macke.

—Veronica Bartles, TWELVE STEPS

I’d love to be in a lounge or hammock aside a clear, isolated mountain lake. However, since this is my dream and I can do what I like, I’d also want personal wait staff standing by to keep me supplied with delicious food and icy drinks while I reread all seven Harry Potter books and THE GOLDEN COMPASS trilogy. As I read, my skin would receive a golden glow—not a burn—and I would be cooled by the beating of dragon wings (both equally likely).

—Heidi Schulz, HOOK’S REVENGE

I’m generally a city vacationer, but for ideal reading, I need to be plunked down by a pool, literally anywhere. I wouldn’t mind returning to Outer Banks, NC, with Leigh Bardugo’s Greisha trilogy to read for the first time from start to finish. (And ISLA AND THE HAPPILY EVER AFTER, of course. I wouldn’t dream of having a summer vacation with Stephanie Perkins. Or Jennifer Echols. Hold on, I might need a bigger suitcase.)

—Dahlia Adler, BEHIND THE SCENES

LBI! I’m there in my beach chair, under the umbrella (and still wearing sunscreen) toes in the sand, a huge cup of fresh pressed lemonade by my side while enjoying the breeze coming off the water and WE WERE LIARS by E. Lockhart.

—Robin Constantine, THE PROMISE OF AMAZING

HARRY POTTER series in the Scottish Highlands. (Clearly, I’d be using it as a guide to help me find Hogwarts by the start of next term…)

—Lauren Magaziner, THE ONLY THING WORSE THAN WITCHES

Wiggling my toes in the pretty white sands of Boracay beach in the Philippines, propped up by an overly large umbrella, a chocolate-peanut-butter-banana shake, with NOS4A2 by Joe Hill!

—Rin Chupeco, THE GIRL FROM THE WELL

For me, a good vacation spot is somewhere secluded with a fantastic view. Probably somewhere cool. Like summer in the Pacific Northwest and Canada or autumn in the northeastern section of the US. And it’s probably cheating to say I’d bring a jam-packed Kindle, huh? Well, one book I’m really excited to get to read is CLARIEL by Garth Nix, a new prequel story to the existing SABRIEL series! It was always a favorite as a kid and now there’s more! 😀

–Erica Cameron, SING SWEET NIGHTINGALE

I’d have to pick somewhere I’ve already visited many times before. Otherwise I’d be tempted to go exploring instead of hanging out and reading. So let’s say Islamorada in the Florida Keys, with a steady stream of mojitos at my side and the final installments of two trilogies in my lap: Laini Taylor’s DREAMS OF GODS AND MONSTERS and Leigh Bardugo’s RISE AND RUIN.

–Meredith McCardle, THE EIGHTH GUARDIAN

Heidi Schulz is a writer, reader, and giraffe suspicioner. Her debut novel for middle grade readers, HOOK’S REVENGE, will be published by Disney•Hyperion on September 16, 2014. A sequel, HOOK’S REVENGE: THE PIRATE CODE will follow in September, 2015. Bloomsbury Kids will publish her picture book debut, GIRAFFES RUIN EVERYTHING, in spring of 2016. She lives in Oregon with her husband, their teen daughter, a terrible little dog, and five irascible chickens. Connect with Heidi on her website, Twitter, and Facebook.

DREAMWOOD Publication Day!

Hi all, I can’t believe this day is here. What happened to time? Just yesterday I had long, uneventful months ahead of me with publication something just barely glimpsed on the far horizon.

Short blurb: When 12-year-old Lucy’s scientist father goes missing, she embarks on a supernatural ecological adventure through a fantastical version of the Pacific Northwest.

I revised and rewrote DREAMWOOD for seven years, which feels like a number from a fairy tale. (I can imagine the book fairies now, hanging out in their forest abode: “And after seven years, she awoke to find she was a published author.”)

Here are what some other book fairies have said:

“A stunning debut with equal parts orginality and heart.” –Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

“Vivid descriptions … capture the imagination at every turn. Dialogue and perilous situations nudge the story along at a steady clip, with the second half a breathless page turner.” –School Library Journal

“As the story races from one fantastic or frightening adventure to the next, it skillfully combines reality with fantasy. … pure fun.” –VOYA

“Mackey’s descriptions of the creatures and hazards of the dreamwood are gorgeous and lush, a fantastic setting for a fantastic tale.” –Booklist

And thanks to Holly Goldberg Sloan (author of must-read COUNTING BY 7S) for this amazing blurb: “Wildly inventive. Like this novel, Lucy is brave, smart, and destined for greatness.”

I hope you’ll check DREAMWOOD out. And if you do, let me know—can a tree be scary?

INDIEBOUND

BARNES & NOBLE

AMAZON

Heather Mackey is the author of DREAMWOOD, a middle-grade fantasy adventure coming in June 2014 from Penguin-Putnam. She lives in Northern California, and thinks the woods are spooky. That’s why she wrote about a homicidal forest!

Happy Day-Before-Release-Day to QUINNY & HOPPER!

I’m excited to share with everyone my debut early MG novel, QUINNY & HOPPER, releasing Tuesday June 10, 2014 from Disney-Hyperion.

Here’s the jacket copy:

Quinny has a lot to say. Hopper gets to the point.

Quinny has one speed: very, very, extra-very fast. Hopper proceeds with caution.

Quinny has big ideas. Hopper has smart solutions.

 Quinny and Hopper couldn’t be more different. They’re an unstoppable team. But when summer ends, things suddenly aren’t the same. Can Quinny and Hopper stick together in the face of stylish bullies, a killer chicken, and those Third Grade Rules – especially the one that says they’re not allowed to be friends anymore?

Ann M. Martin, in her foreword to the beloved 1940s classic Betsy-Tacy and Tib, wrote, “These were small stories…but when Maud Hart Lovelace told small stories, she made them seem big.” I just love that. I love books that do that. Schoolyard politics, sibling squabbles, neighborhood adventures…I find all the “small stuff” of childhood to be the biggest stuff of all.

Of course, what kid doesn’t also crave a suspenseful, action-filled plot? But, along with juicy storylines, I believe young readers deserve dimensional, developed characters that hold a mirror to their own rich interior lives. Not just at ages 10, 11 and 12…but also at 7, 8 and 9.

Combining emotional realism and adventure-driven plotting, Quinny & Hopper alternates between the first-person perspectives of two kids whose intense summer friendship runs smack-dab into the uncertainties of a new school year. I wrote this young MG story in two voices because that felt like the most visceral way of exploring the characters’ blooming but fragile, ripped-to-shreds-and-stitched-back-together friendship. To me this friendship is the book’s main character. I watched it grow and falter due to misunderstandings, fear, outside pressures. I watched it survive and strengthen.

When it comes to friendship, and life in general, I feel like we’re always telling kids: follow your gut, not the crowd. But it’s so hard at times. Showing the struggle and eventual pay-off of social courage is important. Someone who is radically different from you can often teach you a lot about yourself. By the end of their story, I hope Quinny and Hopper would agree.

 

Adriana Brad Schanen was born in Romania, raised in Chicago, and now lives in Montclair, NJ with her husband, two lively daughters and a shaggy 60-pound lap dog named Oliver. She can often be found in her attic study, writing books for kids and teens or the occasional screenplay. Her first early middle-grade novel, QUINNY & HOPPER, releases June 10, 2014 from Disney-Hyperion.

Happy Day-Before-Release-Day to QUINNY & HOPPER

I’m excited to share with everyone my debut early MG novel, QUINNY & HOPPER, releasing Tuesday June 10, 2014, from Disney-Hyperion!

Here’s the jacket copy:

Quinny has a lot to say. Hopper gets to the point.

Quinny has one speed: very, very, extra-very fast. Hopper proceeds with caution.

Quinny has big ideas. Hopper has smart solutions.

Quinny and Hopper couldn’t be more different. They’re an unstoppable team. But when summer ends, things suddenly aren’t the same. Can Quinny and Hopper stick together in the face of stylish bullies, a killer chicken, and those Third Grade Rules – especially the one that says they’re not allowed to be friends anymore?

 

Ann M. Martin, in her foreword to the beloved 1940s classic Betsy-Tacy and Tib, wrote, “These were small stories…but when Maud Hart Lovelace told small stories, she made them seem big.” I just love that. I love books that do that. Schoolyard politics, sibling squabbles, neighborhood adventures…I find all the “small stuff” of childhood to be the biggest stuff of all.

 Of course, what kid doesn’t also crave a suspenseful, action-filled plot? But, along with juicy storylines, I believe young readers deserve dimensional, developed characters that hold a mirror to their own rich interior lives. Not just at ages 10, 11 and 12…but also at 7, 8 and 9.

 Combining emotional realism and adventure-driven plotting, Quinny & Hopper alternates between the first-person perspectives of two kids whose intense summer friendship runs smack-dab into the uncertainties of a new school year. I wrote this young MG story in two voices because that felt like the most visceral way of exploring the characters’ blooming but fragile, ripped-to-shreds-and-stitched-back-together friendship. To me this friendship is really the book’s main character. I watched it grow and falter due to misunderstandings, fear, outside pressures. I watched it survive and strengthen. 

When it comes to friendship, and life in general, I feel like we’re always telling kids: follow your gut, not the crowd. But it’s so hard at times. Showing the struggle and eventual pay-off of social courage is important. Someone who is radically different from you can often teach you a lot about yourself. By the end of their story, I hope Quinny and Hopper would agree.

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<td><img class=”alignleft” src=”https://onefourkidlit.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/adrianabradschanen.jpg&#8221; alt=”” width=”175″ height=”175″ /><a href=”http://adrianabradschanen.com”>Adriana Brad Schanen</a> was born in Romania, raised in Chicago, and now lives in Montclair, NJ with her husband, two lively daughters and a shaggy 60-pound lap dog named Oliver. She can often be found in her attic study, writing books for kids and teens or the occasional screenplay. Her first early middle-grade novel, <a href=”http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18656193-quinny-hopper”>QUINNY & HOPPER</a>, releases June 10, 2014 from Disney-Hyperion.</td>

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PUSH GIRL Release Day!

It’s here, it’s here! It’s the release day of PUSH GIRL by me and Chelsie Hill, one of the stars of Sundance Channel’s reality TV show Push Girls.

Kara is a high school senior who’s loving life. She’s popular, has a great group of friends and an amazing boyfriend, and she’s a shoo-in for homecoming queen. Even though her parents can’t stop fighting and her ex-boyfriend can’t seem to leave her alone, Kara won’t let anything get in the way of her perfect year. It’s Friday night, and Kara arrives at a party, upset after hearing her parents having another one of their awful fights, and sees another girl with her hands all over her boyfriend. Furious, Kara leaves to take a drive, and, as she’s crossing an intersection, a car comes out of nowhere and slams into the driver’s side of Kara’s car.

When Kara wakes up, she has no memory of the night before. Where is she? Why are her parents crying? And, most importantly — why can’t she feel her legs? As Kara is forced to adjust to her new life, where her friends aren’t who they seemed to be and her once-adoring boyfriend is mysteriously absent, she starts to realize that what matters in life isn’t what happens to you — it’s the choices you make and the people you love.

Co-written by “Push Girls” star Chelsie Hill, whose real life closely mirrors Kara’s experience, this novel will open the eyes of readers everywhere who have never met someone who lives with paralysis.

I’m so excited that the book is out there for people to read and enjoy, and I thought I would introduce you to the characters and share with you, dear OneFour blog readers, the pictures I dug up way back when we first started writing this book and I needed some character inspiration.

Kara Moore

Kara loves to dance, has a cute boyfriend, and is distressed that her parents are fighting all the time. But things are about to change for her in a big way when she gets hit by a drunk driver.

“I loved dancing, and it came easily to me, but I worked my butt off at it. I always had. I took as many classes as we could afford and my schedule would allow. I was in the studio on evenings and weekends, choreographing, rehearsing, practicing technique.”

Curt Mitchell

(Yes, this is Bing Lee from The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. He was just TOO perfect for Curt.)

Curt is Kara’s super hot but not-too-bright water polo-playing boyfriend.

“..it’s not like he’d actually forget about me. He did that only one time, and it was totally an accident.”

Amanda Kenyon

Amanda is Kara’s long-time bestie, who loves all things movies and movie-making. They’ve been growing apart lately, though.

“Amanda Kenyon, who was my best friend in title more than practice these days. It wasn’t for her lack of trying, though. It was me.”

Jack Matthews

(I ended up not giving him glasses, which is a damn shame.)

Jack is Kara’s ex. He is trying to stay friends with her, so likes to text her with random trivia.

“Then, one [text] from my ex-boyfriend Jack with another one of his ridiculous ‘fun facts.’

1 IN 5,000 NORTH AMERICAN LOBSTERS ARE BORN BLUE. HAPPY FRIDAY!”

Jenny Roy

Jenny hates Kara because she’s been in love with Curt forever. She’s…not the nicest girl to Kara.

“She was that girl with the perfectly tanned skin, long, black hair in immaculately tousled beachy waves, and the tiniest shorts this side of the toddler section at Nordstrom. She was also the one girl at school who had randomly decided to hate me once I started dating Curt.”

So, there you go! The cast of characters in PUSH GIRL by me, Jessica Love, and Chelsie Hill. It’s out TODAY, and check out all these places you can get it!

Jessica Love is a middle school English teacher, an MFA student at Spalding University, and a full-time internetter. She lives in Orange County, California where she spends her free time going to concerts, brunching, and instagramming pictures of her dogs, Gunner and Patrick. Her debut YA novel PUSH GIRL, written with Chelsie Hill from Sundance Channel’s reality TV show Push Girls, comes out in June ’14 from Thomas Dunne/St. Martin’s.