News: Hashtag Reads - Simon and Schuster

One of my favourite publishers is Simon and Schuster who have provided readers with some of the best YA titles of recent years. Today is the launch day of the very first newsletter for their online community Hashtag Reads.

Hashtag Reads is home to some of the best-loved YA authors including Cassandra Clare, Gayle Forman, Paige Toon, Morgan Matson and Darren Shan. It’s a great place for readers to find out about the latest YA reads, hear more from their favourite authors, read exclusive material and enter the hottest competitions.

You can find them online via:
Twitter: @hashtagreads

Facebook: www.facebook.com/hashtagreads
Tumblr: http://hashtagreads.tumblr.com/

Sign up to the Hashtag Reads newsletter using the handy form below and you will automatically be in with a chance to win your height in books. Wow! That's one prize I would absolutely love to win!

News: Choose Kind campaign

From November 17th – 21st it is Anti-Bullying Week in the UK and Penguin Random House has partnered with the Anti-Bullying Alliance to launch a nationwide anti-bullying campaign inspired by the internationally bestselling novel 'Wonder' by R J Palacio.

 

You can read my review of 'Wonder' here

 

 

 

The Choose Kind campaign was launched earlier this year and so far over 700 schools in the UK have signed up to take part. Random House are encouraging teachers and pupils to read Wonder, promote kindness in their schools and show them how they did this during Anti-Bullying Week this November. The Anti-Bullying Alliance found that nearly a quarter of 5-18 year olds have been bullied at school and 45% of parents state that they are concerned about their child being bullied.

 

This isn’t just a campaign for schools, 'Wonder' should inspire all people to be a little bit kinder to each other.

 

There is more info about the campaign here

Read the first chapter of Half Bad by Sally Green

If you loved 'Half Blood' by Sally Green then you will be very excited by the news that Penguin have released the first chapter of the sequel 'Half Wild' to keep fans going until it's release in March 2015.

Penguin have also announced an exciting new short story by Green today. Half Lies is due for release across all digital book platforms on 13 November. Set in the months before Half Bad, Half Lies takes the form of a diary written by Michele, the sister of Gabriel, Nathan’s Black witch friend. Having fled Europe for Florida, Michele falls in love with a local White witch boy. There, she finds that the divide between the Black and White witch communities is just as dangerous as it was in the life she's left behind.

Ben Horslen, Editorial Director, Puffin Books says: 'Fan response to Half Bad has been so overwhelming that it seemed very unfair to keep readers on tenterhooks until March for their next taste of Sally Green's amazing world. I know Half Lies will thrill and intrigue her fans while they wait for the next chapter of Nathan's story.'

Sally Green says: 'Gabriel is a key character in the Half Bad trilogy and he also happens to be the one I'm desperately in love with (I know a lot of fans are rather fond of him too) so it was great to write a little more about his life. Half Lies is the story of Gabriel and his sister Michele, told from Michele's point of view. Of course it's not a totally happy story, there's love but there's violence too, but they are Black witches so what do you expect?'

News: Bath Children's Literature Festival 2014

Every year I wish I was able to attend the Bath Children's Literature Festival.  They always have a stellar line-up of authors talking about their new books and this year is no exception with some fabulous guest speakers.

Moira Young and Michael Grant are going to be there on Sunday 5th October and even more excitingly, if you are able to get a ticket, then on Saturday 4th October you will be able to see Holly Black and Cassandra Clare in their first UK event together.  They are going to be discussing their new book 'The Iron Trial' which is the first in the Magisterium series.  I am dying to read this one which sounds absolutely fantastic.

 

The Festival runs from 26th September to 5th October and you can find out lots of information about tickets and the schedule here

Comment and let me know if you're attending.  It sounds like it's going to be a lot of fun!

News: Messenger of Fear - Michael Grant

Michael Grant fans will be excited by the news that his new book 'Messenger of Fear' will be published by Electric Monkey in September. It sounds incredible and should fill the hole left by the end of his bestselling Gone series.

"I remembered my name – Mara. But, standing in that ghostly place, faced with the solemn young man in the black coat with silver skulls for buttons, I could recall nothing else about myself. And then the games began. The Messenger sees the darkness in young hearts, and the damage it inflicts upon the world. If they go unpunished, he offers the wicked a game. Win, and they can go free. Lose, and they will live out their greatest fear."

If you are on tenterhooks waiting for publication day then you'll be pleased to hear that Electric Monkey are releasing the cover for Michael's new book on 30th June.  Start counting down the days now! 




Check out Electric Monkey's Tumblr to stay up-to-date with all the news about 'Messenger of Fear'.

Exclusive excerpt: Come Back to Me - Mila Gray

One of my favourite authors, Sarah Alderson, is releasing her first New Adult novel under the pen name Mila Gray.  It sounds fantastic and the cover art alone would make me want to read this one.  It's being published in e-book format tomorrow and in paperback on 23rd October.      

Home on leave in sunny California, Marine and local lothario Kit Ryan finds himself dangerously drawn to his best friend's sister, Jessa - the one girl he can't have.  But Kit's not about to let a few obstacles stand in his way and soon Jessa's falling for his irresistible charms.

What starts out as a summer romance of secret hook-ups and magical first times quickly develops into a passionate love affair that turns both their worlds upside down.

When summer's over and it's time for Kit to redeploy, neither Kit nor Jessa are ready to say goodbye. Jessa's finally following her dreams and Kit's discovered there's someone he'd sacrifice everything for.

Jessa's prepared to wait for Kit no matter what. But when something more than distance and time rips them apart they're forced to decide whether what they have is really worth fighting for.

Read on for an exclusive (and very hot!) excerpt from 'Come Back to Me'. 

Come Back to Me

Sarah Alderson is also offering a giveaway and competition to celebrate the release.  You can win £50 of vouchers to a store of your choice, signed books and more (international entry).  Enter the giveaway here for your chance to get your hands on all these lovely goodies.

 

News: Isla and the Happily Ever After - Stephanie Perkins

I recently received some very exciting news about Stephanie Perkin's new book 'Isla and the Happily Ever After'.  I've been waiting for this one for the longest time, but now the wait is nearly over.  Usborne will be publishing the third book by Perkins in the UK and the US on Thursday 14th August 2014.  Yay!!  I'm dying to read Isla and Josh's story and I have high hopes that it will be just as good, if not better, then 'Anna and the French Kiss' and 'Lola and the Boy Next Door'. 

From the glittering streets of Manhattan to the moonlit rooftops of Paris, falling in love is easy for hopeless dreamer Isla and introspective artist Josh. But as they begin their senior year in France, Isla and Josh are quickly forced to confront the heartbreaking reality that happily-ever-afters aren’t always forever.

Their romantic journey is skillfully intertwined with those of beloved couples Anna and Étienne and Lola and Cricket, whose paths are destined to collide in a sweeping finale certain to please fans old and new.

For those of you who can't wait until August, the first chapter of 'Isla and the Happily Ever After' is now available online. Read it here
And don't forget that you can pre-order your copy now.  I already have and am counting down the days until this one drops through my mailbox.   

News: Launch of Bloomsbury Spark

Today sees the launch of Bloomsbury Spark, a brand new digital imprint dedicated to YA and New Adult e-book titles. 

The first seven titles available are:

Pride’s Run by Cat Kalen – @CatKalen

Pride has been enslaved and raised in captivity for her power as a shape shifter, but when she finally gets the chance to run, she must trust in the boy who promises her freedom, the same boy she was sent to hunt. This is the first book in a planned series. Pride Unleashed and Pride’s Pursuit will follow in February and March, respectively.

 

The Secret of Isobel Key by Jen McConnel – @Jen_McConnel

When an indecisive college student runs away to Scotland, she discovers romance, dark secrets of witchcraft, and learns to trust her own intuition.

The Sound of Us by Ashley Poston – @ashposton

Eighteen-year-old Junie Baltimore is glad the band Roman Holiday is dead, done, so last year-- but she never planned on falling in love with the lead singer.

The Art of Falling by Jenny Kaczorowski – @jennykacz

Bria knows exactly who she is – the militant vegan, purple-haired Queen of the Art Room - until she kisses the high school quarterback. 

Beyond Our Stars by Marie Langager – @MarieLangager

Fleeing a destroyed Earth, Hope has become a young leader for the people who remain, searching for answers in a new world. But when she is the only one who can withstand the tests of the natives on their new planet, she is about to become their last chance for survival. 

Until We End by Frankie Brown – @frankiebrown25  

If saving her brother from the government post-apocalypse means a suicide mission, Cora's willing. But there's one guy who can't let her go. 

Positively Mine by Christine Duval – @ChristineDuval1

Freshman year is hard enough without having to hide an unplanned pregnancy from a summer fling...

 

Find out more by visiting Bloomsbury Spark.  Comment and let me know which ones you are looking forward to reading?

News: Unlocked ebook imprint launched

Hotkey Books have recently launched their new ebook imprint.  Unlocked will publish digital novellas for 16+ market, in various genre sets, the first being Christmas Romance. With the launch of each new genre set there will be a contest to give new writers the chance to write for the list.

The first set of Christmas novellas are quick, fun and steamy reads.  Included within the set are 'Under the Mistletoe' by Kate Kingsley, 'All I Want For Christmas' by Esme Taylor (aka Keris Stainton), 'Santa Baby' by Ali Cronin, 'Baby It's Cold Outside' by Catherine Cooper and 'Last Christmas' by Harriet Reuter Hapgood'.

I love Christmas stories so I'm definitely going to be checking out some of these! 

For more information about Unlocked and their forthcoming set of fantasy ebooks, you can follow @UnlockedBooks or have a look at their Facebook page to read extracts of some of these titles.  

News: Writes of Passage

I have news today about a new teen reading recommendations initiative that has recently launched in the UK by Children’s Laureate Malorie Blackman.  Nominations are now open for 'Writes of Passage’.

The award-winning author of bestselling teenage series Noughts and Crosses is inviting book lovers of all ages to help compile the definitive range of titles for young people to try by the time they hit 16.

So think about all those books you couldn't wait to read and tell your friends about or think back to your teenage reads and nominate those titles that rocked your world.  

Anyone can take part by visiting the World Book Day website and sharing their favourites by Friday January 17th, with one lucky participant set to bag every book on a final list of 50 recommended reads for teens which is being unveiled for World Book Day 2014 (March 6th).

News: Susan Cooper UK event

Those of you who are big fans of Susan Cooper will be extremely excited by the news that she is appearing at her first UK event in seven years at Waterstones Piccadilly on Thursday 24 October.

The event will be chaired by Marcus Sedgwick and Susan will be talking about her life in writing, her classic Dark is Rising sequence and her epic new novel 'Ghost Hawk'.

Tickets are £5/£3 for Waterstones loyalty card holders and the event starts at 6.30pm.

For more information and to book your ticket visit the Waterstones website.

If you're a Susan Cooper fan this is definitely an event you do not want to miss!  

'Write for the Gods' short story contest

Young people with a talent for spinning an adventurous yarn are being invited to take part in a unique writing challenge by bestselling novelist Michelle Paver.

To mark the release of her new book, Gods and Warriors: The Burning Shadow, the award-winning children’s author is launching ‘Write for the Gods’, a short story contest offering youngsters of all ages the chance to show off their storytelling skills and scoop some money-can’t-buy prizes.
Wannabe writers should submit their own original tale of up to 450 words.  The ten most imaginative and exciting stories – as selected by Michelle herself – will be published online as part of an official Write for the Gods page on social media platform Tumblr, and appear on the new Gods and Warriors website.

Winning entrants will also receive signed copies of The Burning Shadow, as well as a copy of the first book in the Gods and Warriors series, The Outsiders.

Taking part is simple. Just visit www.writeforthegods.tumblr.com where you will find some opening lines written by Michelle to get your entry started, along with step by step instructions for sending in your finished story. Two winners will be unveiled every week until 23 August 2013.

If you’re stuck for a brainwave, Michelle’s top writing tips should come in handy:

1. Ask yourself: who is my main character? What do they like, hate or fear? Most importantly, what do they want? To escape a lion? Pass a test? Get to safety?

2. Next, ask: what gets in their way of achieving their aim? An enemy? A blizzard? Self doubt? Putting an obstacle in your character’s way, then deciding how they deal with it, will give you the basis of a story.

3. Now make your story real. If it’s set in a forest, take a walk in one and pretend to be your character. Take notes on whatever strikes you, using all five senses.

4. Then, start writing. Just get something down. (You can either write on paper first, or straight onto a computer, whatever feels right for you.)

5. Now read your story through as if you were a new reader. Is anything unclear? A bit boring, wordy or unnecessary? Change it! You can rewrite anything. It’s your story. You’re in charge.

6. Finally, reading your story out loud can really help, especially in writing natural-sounding dialogue.

News: The 5th Wave - Rick Yancey

'The 5th Wave' by Rick Yancey is one of my most highly anticipated books of the year.  Mark the 7th May 2013 on your calendar and in your diaries now because that's when Penguin will be publishing this title for UK readers to enjoy. 

Here's the incredible trailer and synopsis of the book:



After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

If you can't wait to find out more then here is an extract from 'The 5th Wave' to enjoy!

The Fifth Wave

News: Jennifer L. Armentrout publishing in UK by Hodder

I recently received some exciting news that Hodder will be publishing ten of Jennifer L. Armentrout's novels in the UK.  I'm really happy about this because although I've got copies of all of the Lux books sitting on my shelves, I haven't read any of her other titles yet.  I have heard amazing things about them though from my fellow bloggers!

 

The ten titles will include all the books in her YA paranormal series Covenant, the paranormal standalone 'Cursed', as well as two mystery thrillers. 

The Covenant novels, plus 'Cursed' will be published as ebooks on 25th April and the first mystery thriller 'Don't Look Back' will be published in April 2014 in paperback and ebook format. 

Blog update: Bloglovin

Did you know that you can now follow my blog with Bloglovin.  All you need to do is click on the link below or the button on the right of the page:

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

This is a great way of staying up-to-date with all the latest news and reviews featured on A Dream of Books, as well as all of your other favourite blogs.  

You can also subscribe to my blog by email (just click the link on the right of the page) or via an RSS feed.      

News: Beautiful Creatures #Penguin Chat

I have some exciting news today from Penguin who are launching a brand new venture called Penguin Chats.  This will provide a unique opportunity for readers to connect with some of their favourite YA authors.   

The Penguin Chat will be a 30 minute Q&A with a Penguin author on Twitter, using #PenguinChats and hosted by @PenguinUKBooks.

To take part in the very first one, all you need to do is be on Twitter on Sunday 27th January at 8.00pm when Kami Garcia (@kamigarcia) and Margaret Stohl (@mstohl) will be answering fans questions on their Beautiful Creatures series and the very exciting upcoming movie (which I personally can't wait for!).

You can discover more about this on the Penguin blog so be sure to check it out.  You'll find a list of all the other official blog partners too who will be hosting exclusive content from the books and the film.

News: Beautiful Creatures: Official Illustrated Movie Companion

I'm really looking forward to seeing the big screen adaptation of 'Beautiful Creatures' by Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia when it hits cinema screens next month. 

Until then Puffin have just published the official illustrated movie companion which looks amazing and should keep fans busy until February.  The cover art is fantastic and if possible, I think I'm even more excited now! 

This ultimate visual companion is lavishly illustrated with full-colour photos of the cast, locations, and sets. With never-before-seen images, exclusive interviews and personal stories, Mark Cotta Vaz takes you behind the scenes with cast and crew, uncovering intimate details of the film-making process.

News: Special extras for Vortex - Julie Cross

To celebreate the release of 'Vortex', the second book in Julie Cross's time travelling series, My Kinda Book are hosting lots of special extras for readers to enjoy.   Visit their website or click on one of the links below for some exciting extra content.

Read the first chapter of Vortex

Read a diary entry from Jackson's agent training

Read a deleted scene from Tempest and Vortex

Uncensored extra content from Tempest (must be 16 or older to read)

Jackson Meyer has thrown himself into his role as an agent for Tempest, the shadowy division of the CIA that handles all time-travel-related threats. Despite his heartbreak at losing the love of his life, Jackson has proved himself to be an excellent agent. However, all that changes when Holly—the girl he altered history to save—re-enters his life. And when Eyewall, an opposing division of the CIA, emerges, Jackson and his fellow agents find themselves under attack and on the run. 

I haven't read 'Vortex' yet but as soon as I do, I'll be sharing my review of the book!  Have you read it yet?  If so, let me know in comments what you thought.

News: Prodigy - Marie Lu

On 29th January 2013, Penguin are publishing 'Prodigy' which is the sequel to Marie Lu's stunning novel 'Legend'.  You can read my review of the first book in the series here 

Injured and on the run, it has been seven days since June and Day barely escaped Los Angeles and the Republic with their lives. Day is believed dead having lost his own brother to an execution squad who thought they were assassinating him. June is now the Republic's most wanted traitor.

Desperate for help, they turn to the Patriots - a vigilante rebel group sworn to bring down the Republic. But can they trust them or have they unwittingly become pawns in the most terrifying of political games?



Prodigy First Chapter

Find out more about Marie Lu:

 

@Marie_Lu
www.marielu.org
www.legendtheseries.com
www.facebook.com/legendtheseries

News: Blackwood - Gwenda Bond

I'm a little late posting this but I have some exciting news from Strange Chemistry.  'Blackwood' by Gwenda Bond is going into development with MTV!  I was thrilled to hear about this because I enjoyed reading Gwenda's novel so much and I think it would be amazing translated to the small screen. 

You can read my review of the book here

 

MTV has put in development Blackwood, a drama from Lionsgate Television and Kelsey Grammer’s Grammnet Prods. It is based on the young adult book of the same name by Gwenda Bond, which was published this past September on the Strange Chemistry YA imprint of UK-based science fiction publisher Angry Robot Books. DC Comic book and television writer Peter Calloway (Brothers & Sisters) will write the adaptation.

Blackwood centers on 19-year-old Miranda Blackwood who, when 114 people, including her father, suddenly vanish off Roanoke Island, begins to investigate the mass disappearance, teaming with her high school sweetheart. But she makes a chilling discovery when she uncovers that she’s at the center of not only this mystery, but one that traces back to the first American mystery: the disappearance of 114 people at what would be called The Lost Colony.

Follow Gwenda on Twitter @Gwenda or check out her website