Read All About It: News, Deals and Cover Reveals from Rebecca James, Ruth Warburton, Cynthia Hand, Veronica Roth and Many More!

Here's a round up of the latest book news, deals and some cover reveals that I've discovered over the past few weeks!  It's also basically a digest of all the exciting news stories that come my way and which I've mostly already posted on my twitter and Facebook feeds, so if you want up-to-the-minute book news and you don't want to have to wait around for me to type this up, you can follow me on those sites!

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First up, Beautiful Malice author Rebecca James has revealed the Australian cover art for her second book Sweet Damage.    I can't wait to read this one!  Looks like it's not going to release in these parts for a long time yet (Autumn 2013 according to Rebecca) but I'm sure it'll be worth the wait!

Sweet Damage by Rebecca James

Publisher:  Allen and Unwin

Release date: April 2013

I still dream about Anna London's house.

In my dreams the house is more than it was in life; the building taller and more imposing, the hallways longer and more labyrinthine, the inside colder and darker than the real thing ever was.

Anna is sometimes in these dreams, lingering ghost-like and elusive ahead of or behind me, and no matter how much I chase her or call her name, I can never reach her.

In my dreams it's as if the house itself has sinister intentions. In real life, though, it wasn't the house that was responsible for what happened there. It was the people who did the damage.

A gripping new novel from the author of Beautiful Malice

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Book Deals, Book Deals, Book Deals....

 

Usborne acquires SOULMATES by Holly Bourne:

Usborne has acquired a debut YA novel and an as-yet untitled second book by 26-year-old Holly Bourne, in the first deal for the Madeleine Milburn Literary, TV & Film Agency.

Usborne fiction director Rebecca Hill bought UK and Commonwealth rights, including Australia and New Zealand, in Soulmates, from Madeline Milburn, and described the title as "a YA novel about the power of first love with a world-ending twist". It will be published in autumn 2013.

Hill said: "I'm so excited to welcome such a talented new voice to the Usborne list. Soulmates has a fearlessly fresh narrative, a hot-blooded romance to rival Bella and Edward, and a heroine with more effervescent cynicism than Caitlin Moran."

Milburn added the book has “enormous appeal internationally”, with German rights already sold to DTV.

Here's more about Soulmates:

SOULMATES is a contemporary YA love story / thriller about a cynical 17-year-old called Poppy who falls in love with a guitarist, Noah. Every so often two people are born who are the perfect matches for each other.  Soulmates. But the repercussions of soulmates getting together are huge and, unbeknown to Poppy and Noah, they are being watched by a secret international agency responsible for separating them.

Poppy and Noah will soon have to decide whether to stay together and potentially end the world, or live without love for the rest of their lives.

(How good does Soulmates sound? I can't wait to read it!

Follow Holly on Twitter: @holly_bourneYA

 Ruth Warburton signs new two-book deal with Hodder Children's Books:

Hodder Children's Books has acquired a new series by The Winter Trilogy author Ruth Warburton.

Senior editor Ellen Holgate bought world rights in the two-book deal from Eve White of Eve White Literary Agency for a five-figure sum, with the first of the two books, Witch Finder and Witch Hunt, to be published in January 2014.

Witch Finder is described as a "Victorian romantic thriller for 12-16 year olds set in 1880s London". It follows the story of eighteen-year-old Luke Lexton who is about to undergo his initiation into the Malleus Maleficorum—the secretive brotherhood devoted to hunting witches.

Holgate said: "Ruth is an immensely talented storyteller and we are very excited to be publishing these new novels. Witch Finder is a wonderful combination of everything Ruth does best: spine-tingling romance, with a powerful female lead and a dark, witchcraft-filled adventure. It's a page-turning thriller that will delight her increasing army of fans."

Strange Chemistry Sign Eliza Crewe and CRACKED

About CRACKED:

Meet Meda. She eats people.

Well, technically, she eats their soul. But she totally promises to only go for people who deserve it. She’s special. It’s not her fault she enjoys it. She can’t help being a bad guy. Besides, what else can she do? Her mother was killed and it’s not like there are any other “soul-eaters” around to show her how to be different. That is, until the three men in suits show up.

They can do what she can do. They’re like her. Meda might finally have a chance to figure out what she is. The problem? They kind of want to kill her. Before they get the chance Meda is rescued by crusaders, members of an elite group dedicated to wiping out Meda’s kind. This is her chance! Play along with the “good guys” and she’ll finally figure out what, exactly, her “kind” is.

Be careful what you wish for. Playing capture the flag with her mortal enemies, babysitting a teenage boy with a hero complex, and avoiding a bad-ass cripple that doesn’t trust her are bad enough. But the Hunger is gaining on her.

The more she learns, the worse it gets. And when Meda uncovers a shocking secret about her mother, her past, and her destiny… she may finally give into it.

Cracked releases November 2013 from Strange Chemistry.

Follow Eliza on Twitter: @ElizaCrewe

Cynthia Hand announces an Unearthly Novella:  

(Actual Squee!!)

  

From New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Hand comes a riveting original novella (available only as an ebook) set in the world of the Unearthly series.

Clara is desperate to get away—from the memories that haunt her in Wyoming and the visions of a future she isn't ready to face—and spending the summer in Italy with her best friend, Angela, should be the perfect escape. . . .

For as long as she can remember, Angela has been told that love is dangerous, that she must always guard her heart. But when she met a mysterious guy in Italy two years ago she was determined to be with him, no matter the costs. Now she must decide whether she can trust Clara with her secret, or if telling her the truth will risk everything she cares about.

Alternating between Angela and Clara's perspectives, Radiant chronicles the unforgettable summer that will test the bounds of their friendship and change their lives forever.  



 Radiant releases December 4th 2012 from HarperTeen 

Born Wicked gets a Paperback Cover Makeover:

I totally remember swooning over the cover for Jessica Shea Spotswood's Born Wicked last year, but now, as is prone to happening, the publishers have decided to give the series a cover makeover.  What do you think of the new series look? As it happens, I really like this one, although I'm still really fond of the original cover too! <<<Click through to see original cover. 

I haven't read this book yet. I need to get to it. Have you read Born Wicked. What did you think? 

Veronica Roth announces DIVERGENT Movie News! 

So, the Divergent movie is really happening! So many books get optioned for film, but not all of them make it to the big screen. However, things seem to be moving fast for this one.  Divergent now has a Director attached -- Neil Burger (The Illusionist, Limitless) and as announced by Veronica Roth on her blog Shailene Woodley (The Descendents) is in final negotiations to play Tris! (No word on Four yet!) 

What do you think of Shailene as Tris? 

Keep up to date with all the Divergent movie news at Veronica Roth's Blog. 

That's it for the round-up! Let me know your thoughts!

Additional info was sourced from: The Bookseller, Publishers Weekly, BookTrade.Info and Goodreads.