Dumpster Diving: An Observation On Class In Children’s Books

Life and its challenges can seem daunting sometimes, but they definitely don’t feel as scary when you have help! We’ll run into many other adventurers in our journey, and we won’t be alone. 💛

Chibird store | Positive Pin Club | Webtoon

Cover Reveal: The Truth of Things by @tashalharrison

Cover Reveal: The Truth of Things by @tashalharrison

So excited to be doing my first cover reveal for Tasha L. Harrison! She’s been writing the kind of smut I’ve been missing in my life XD So I answered the call when she needed folks to spread her new cover to the world!

Without a moment’s hesitation….

“Where I come from, cops aren’t super heroes.”

Photojournalist and wedding photographer, Ava Marie Greene, doesn’t ever want to fall in love and…

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At New York Comic Con this year, we asked people how to improve diversity in the comics industry, and were astounded by the range of beautiful and insightful answers they provided us. Thank you to everyone who helped out with this project, and shared touching personal stories and thoughts.

Watch the full video to see what other advice they have for studios, artists, and authors.

MARVEL’S SPIDER-MAN: MILES MORALES (2020) dev. Insomniac Games

With 2015 behind us, it’s time for Audrey to look ahead and see what 2016 has to offer. And by her quick survey, there are a ton of YA books by or about people of color to look forward to in the next six months. Here’s a quick list of four that caught her eye:

The Abyss Surrounds Us (The Abyss Surrounds Us #1) by Emily Skrutskie Flux || February 8, 2016

For Cassandra Leung, bossing around sea monsters is just the family business. She’s been a Reckoner trainer-in-training ever since she could walk, raising the genetically-engineered beasts to defend ships as they cross the pirate-infested NeoPacific. But when the pirate queen Santa Elena swoops in on Cas’s first solo mission and snatches her from the bloodstained decks, Cas’s dream of being a full-time trainer seems dead in the water.

There’s no time to mourn. Waiting for her on the pirate ship is an unhatched Reckoner pup. Santa Elena wants to take back the seas with a monster of her own, and she needs a proper trainer to do it. She orders Cas to raise the pup, make sure he imprints on her ship, and, when the time comes, teach him to fight for the pirates. If Cas fails, her blood will be the next to paint the sea.

But Cas has fought pirates her entire life. And she’s not about to stop.

These Vicious Masks (These Vicious Masks#1) by Tarun Shanker Swoon Reads || February 9, 2016

Jane Austen meets X-­Men in this gripping and adventure-­filled paranormal romance set in Victorian London.

England, 1882. Evelyn is bored with society and its expectations. So when her beloved sister, Rose, mysteriously vanishes, she ignores her parents and travels to London to find her, accompanied by the dashing Mr. Kent. But they’re not the only ones looking for Rose. The reclusive, young gentleman Sebastian Braddock is also searching for her, claiming that both sisters have special healing powers. Evelyn is convinced that Sebastian must be mad, until she discovers that his strange tales of extraordinary people are true—and that her sister is in graver danger than she feared.

The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi St. Martin’s Griffin || May 3, 2016

Cursed with a horoscope that promises a marriage of Death and Destruction, sixteen-year-old Maya has only earned the scorn and fear of her father’s kingdom. Content to follow more scholarly pursuits, her world is upheaved when her father, the Raja, arranges a wedding of political convenience to quell outside rebellions. But when her wedding takes a fatal turn, Maya becomes the queen of Akaran and wife of Amar. Yet neither roles are what she expected. As Akaran’s queen, she finds her voice and power. As Amar’s wife, she finds friendship and warmth.

But Akaran has its own secrets – thousands of locked doors, gardens of glass, and a tree that bears memories instead of fruit. Beneath Akaran’s magic, Maya begins to suspect her life is in danger. When she ignores Amar’s plea for patience, her discoveries put more than new love at risk – it threatens the balance of all realms, human and Otherworldly.

Now, Maya must confront a secret that spans reincarnated lives and fight her way through the dangerous underbelly of the Otherworld if she wants to protect the people she loves.

The Star-Touched Queen is a lush, beautifully written and vividly imagined fantasy inspired by Indian mythology.

Mirror in the Sky by Aditi Khorana Razorbill || June 21, 2016

For Tara Krishnan, navigating Brierly, the academically rigorous prep school she attends on scholarship, feels overwhelming and impossible. Her junior year begins in the wake of a startling discovery: A message from an alternate Earth, light years away, is intercepted by NASA. This means that on another planet, there is another version of Tara, a Tara who could be living better, burning brighter, because of tiny differences in her choices.

As the world lights up with the knowledge of Terra Nova, the mirror planet, Tara’s life on Earth begins to change. At first, small shifts happen, like attention from Nick Osterman, the most popular guy at Brierly, and her mother playing hooky from work to watch the news all day. But eventually those small shifts swell, the discovery of Terra Nova like a black hole, bending all the light around it.

As a new era of scientific history dawns and Tara’s life at Brierly continues its orbit, only one thing is clear: Nothing on Earth–and for Tara–will ever be the same again.

What books are on your radar for the first half of 2016?

We’re going to be at @blogboundcon this July! There's a free event we're managing to take the train to. We're mainly going for the workshops, but if you're a YA blogger, consider stopping by!

Our boxset Wrath and Ruin releases today!

Wrath and Ruin is now available!

25 bestselling authors. 24 exclusive novels. One epic collection.

  Take flight with all new and exclusive stories that are out of this world, including full-length novels from some of today’s most popular names in science fiction and fantasy!From magnificent dragons, bloodthirsty aliens, and mad genetic engineers to intergalactic wars, magical curses, and…

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Forget “strong female character.” Aim for: “Woman or girl with agency.” One who makes decisions, affects the story, pushes the plot. –– Chuck Wendig

STARSWEPT Cover Reveal @astralcolt @snowywingspub

STARSWEPT Cover Reveal @astralcolt @snowywingspub

It’s cover reveal day for Starswept by Mary Fan! This sweeping YA sci-fi romance will be released on August 29 by Snowy Wings Publishing. The cover features photography by Roberto Falck, with graphic design by Streetlight Graphics. As a SFF fan I’m always super excited to share a cover with a grl of color on it!!!!

Title: Starswept Author: Mary Fan Release Date: August 29, 2017 Publisher: Snowy…

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Interviewing this author for the #blerdbookclub and so excited! We love interviewing folks!

An Update and a Request

An Update and a Request

I’m ducking my head in to say hi and give y’all an update. I apologize for the silence. The kiddo has been sick for about six weeks. It had me stressed the eff out. Thus no mental energy for the blog. I have been writing, though. So no worries on that front. Sirens Conference I had a blast. Met some awesome ladies like Justina Ireland, Kate Elliot, and Rae Carson. I got to see BR Sanders in…

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