We preach patience so often in this business, but I’ve been foaming at the mouth for months in anticipation of the release of Matt Myklusch’s JACK BLANK AND THE IMAGINE NATION with Aladdin Books, an imprint of Simon and Schuster. Is it rabies, you ask? Probably not (although I have been petting wild raccoons lately). It’s because this book is full of twists, turns, laughs, and big surprises, and I’ve been dying for everyone to read it. And now you can!

JACK BLANK AND THE IMAGINE NATION is the story of an orphan boy who, after fighting off a robot zombie straight out of one of his comic books, is whisked away to a secret island where all the fantastic things in our world originate, including him. It’s got ninjas, super heroes, the aforementioned robot zombies, spaceships, sword-wielding kids, and a terrific mixture of action and humor that will appeal to even the most reluctant of boy readers. (more…)

Although I typically blog about my authors’ books, today I am actually writing about my own.

On June 8^th, my second novel for teens, Crash Test Love, was released. I truly believe that having the firsthand experience of publishing a novel—finishing that elusive first draft, going through rounds of revision with a skilled editor, worrying about the cover, reviews, and all that jazz—only makes me a more insightful and skilled agent, and I am incredibly proud to share this novel with all of you.

I am happy to invite any Upstart Crow blog readers who live on Long Island to a reading I will be doing at the Barnes and Noble in Carle Place tonight at 7pm.

More details here: http://store-locator.barnesandnoble.com/event/67004

Enjoy!

Today I’m doubly excited to announce the release of not only two fantastic projects from Upstart Crow Literary, but also the first two books I personally sold long, long ago.

No longer do I have to tell editors, conference attendees, friends, and family that the books I’ve sold will come out “soon.” Now when someone asks what I do and I try to explain my job, I’ll have actual books I can direct them toward. So, as you can probably imagine, I’m super excited for two very talented authors. (more…)

To help count down to the release of Shaun Hutchinson’s The Deathday Letter, today we’re running a little contest on here, Facebook, and Twitter.

The Deathday Letter takes place in a world much like our own: the one difference? In this world, you receive a letter the day before you kick the bucket letting you know your croakage is happening within 24 hours whether you like it or not. When teenage Oliver receives his deathday letter, he embarks on an epic and hilarious last day full of risks, best friends, and pudding. Yep. Pudding. As the clock ticks down and Oliver’s staring the reaper in his surprisingly pretty blue eyes, he realizes it’s his last chance to make his mark, however small, on the people around him.

Sounds awesome, right? It is! So here’s the question I pose to you: What would your teenage self have done with 24 hours left to live? Stood up to the bully? Finally tried foie gras? 24-hour laser tag session?

Leave your answer in a comment (please limit to one sentence or less) or tweet your answer using the #MyDeathday tag. Everyone who participates before 5 PM EST on Monday, June 14th will have their names entered to win a signed copy of The Deathday Letter.

Be sure to check out Shaun’s blog for other chances to win copies, news about the book, and a special surprise video coming soon of Shaun doing something crazy as his #MyDeathday moment. And if you want to buy the book, it hits stores June 15th!

If you’ve seen me speak at a conference, read my online interviews, or follow me on Twitter, you’ve likely heard me mention Jacqueline West’s THE BOOKS OF ELSEWHERE VOL I: THE SHADOWS.

The truth is, I love this book. Jacqueline’s story was the first project I ever signed as an agent, and I’ve been anxiously waiting two long years for it to come out so that everyone else could see what made me fall so hard in love with this story, these characters, and this remarkable writer.

I’m thrilled to share that the fine folks at Publisher’s Weekly loved the project enough to give it a starred review. They write:

The Shadows
Jacqueline West, illus. by Poly Bernatene, Dial, $16.99 (256p) ISBN 978-0-8037-3440-1
Poet West’s debut novel is a quirky and clever beginning to the Books of Elsewhere series. The Dunwoodys, “a pair of more than slightly dippy mathematicians,” and their 11-year-old daughter, Olive, have just moved into an old Victorian house. Olive has learned to be independent, given her parents’ aloofness (”Her persistently lackluster grades in math had led her parents to believe that she was some kind of genetic aberration”). She explores the house’s eccentricities and discovers that, by donning a pair of spectacles, she can enter the house’s many unsettling paintings. Inside one, she encounters nine-year-old Morton, who brings to her attention the secrets that the house and its late owner are keeping. With the help of three talking house cats, Olive works to patch together clues to save the painting-dwellers from their dark fate. The house is as much a character as are Olive, Morton, and her family, and a wicked sense of humor tempers the book’s creepiness. A suspenseful plot and insight into childhood loneliness–handily amplified by Bernatene’s moody and dramatically lit b&w illustrations–will have readers anxiously awaiting the next book.

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When I first read Angie Frazier’s debut, Everlasting, I knew I had something special in my hands. Together, we worked diligently to revise and shape the manuscript prior to submission. To this day, I am still struck by what a phenomenal writer Angie is, and how she was able to transform an already fantastic manuscript to an even more glorious one. And this was all before she had guidance from her phenomenal editor at Scholastic!

Books are hard work. Everlasting is a prime example of a novel’s journey, from its initial draft to sale to finally hitting the shelves. It has been a long wait, but I could not be more thrilled that this novel is now available for readers to fall in love with as much as I have.

From the back copy:

Sailing aboard her father’s ship is all seventeen-year-old Camille Rowen has ever wanted. But as a lady in 1855 San Francisco, her future is set: marry a man she doesn’t love in order to preserve her social standing.

On her last voyage before the wedding, Camille learns (more…)

I am beyond excited to congratulate Danette Haworth on the release of her second novel, The Summer of Moonlight Secrets.

Aside from being a phenomenal storyteller, one of the reasons I admire Danette so much is her drive as an author—she constantly pushes herself to tell new stories and for each one of her novels to involve arresting settings, introduce different sorts of characters, and infuse her writing with a real sense of joy for the middle grade reader.

The Summer of Moonlight Secrets is a magical story that I know readers will love just as much as her acclaimed debut, Violet Raines Almost Got Struck By Lightning.

Here is the story from the back cover:

At the Meriwether, Florida’s famous antebellum hotel off of Hope Springs, nothing is quite as it seems. Secret staircases give way to servants’ quarters and Prohibition-era speakeasies make for the perfect hide-and-seek spot. Allie Jo Jackson knows every nook and cranny of the Meriwether—she’s lived there her whole life—and nothing surprises her, until the first time she spots the enigmatic and beautiful Tara emerging from the springs. Tara’s shimmery skin, long flowing hair, and strange penchant for late moonlight swims disguise a mysterious secret, and once Allie Jo and her friend Chase discover Tara’s secret, nothing will ever be the same.

Not only is the novel absolutely wonderful, the cover is truly delicious. Already, Kirkus has said: “the mix of fantasy and light mystery makes for an entertaining read.”

So, go out and pick up your copy today! And visit Danette online at www.danettehaworth.com.

Three writers from the Nashville area have set up a blog where they’ll be auctioning off prizes involving writers, agents, and editors, to help victims of the recent flooding. I’ve just added a 30 minute phone call consultation with an aspiring author as one of the things to bid on. Head over to their blog in the next few days to see the list of great items up for auction, and to bid on 30 minutes with yours truly, CLICK HERE. (more…)

Sometimes, books change lives. I’m not talking about self-help books, either. I’m also not talking about being on the subway and randomly getting accosted by a man with a knife, who launches the blade at your chest from across the aisle, but thankfully you’re reading the new Dan Brown book and the hardcover acts like a shield.

What I’m talking about is this: Occasionally, you read a book that is so beautiful and full of life that it makes you to stop to think about your own life: how you are living it, who you are living it with, and what’s important to you.

Sarah Ockler’s Twenty Boy Summer is one of those books. And May first was the official release date of the paperback, which is just as good as the hardcover only adorned with wonderful blurbs and fantastic reviews.

Stealing liberally from Sarah’s blog (www.sarahockler.com), Why should you snag a copy? Well…

Top 10 Reasons to Pick Up Twenty Boy Summer in Paperback: (more…)

I am very excited to invite all Upstart Crow blog readers to a Teen Author event this evening that I’ve helped organize. The reading will feature our very own Yvonne Woon, whose debut novel Dead Beautiful will be published in September.

She will be joined by the fantastic Natalie Standiford (How To Say Goodbye In Robot), Bennett Madison (The Blonde of the Joke), and New York Times bestseller Lauren Oliver (Before I Fall).

Please come to hear these remarkable authors read selections from their novels, talk about their writing processes and their roads to publication, plus their latest projects.

There will be a Q&A session immediately following, as well as an author signing with books available for purchase.

The details are as follows: (more…)