Read All About It: News, Deals and Cover Reveals from Josephine Angelini, Cassandra Clare & Holly Black, Samantha Young & More!

Here's a round up of the latest book news, deals and some cover reveals that I've discovered over the past month or so.  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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Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini || Release date: September 2014

Love burns. Worlds collide. Magic reigns.

This world is trying to kill Lily Proctor. Her life-threatening allergies keep her from enjoying many of the experiences that other teenagers take for granted...which is why she is determined to enjoy her first (and perhaps only) high-school party. But Lily's life never goes according to plan, and after a humiliating incident in front of half her graduating class Lily wishes she could just disappear.

Suddenly Lily is in a different Salem - one overrun with horrifying creatures and ruled by powerful women called Crucibles. Strongest and cruellest of all the Crucibles is Lillian . . . Lily's identical other self in this alternate universe. This new version of her world is terrifyingly sensual, and Lily is soon overwhelmed by new experiences.

Lily realizes that what makes her weak at home is exactly what makes her extraordinary in New Salem. It also puts her life in danger. Thrown into a world she doesn't understand, Lily is torn between responsibilities she can't hope to shoulder alone, and a love she never expected.

But how can Lily be the saviour of this world when she is literally her own worst enemy?

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 Famous Last Words by Katie Alender || Release date: September 2014

Hollywood history, mystery, murder, mayhem, and delicious romance collide in this unputdownable thriller from master storyteller Katie Alender.

Willa is freaking out. It seems like she's seeing things. Like a dead body in her swimming pool. Frantic messages on her walls. A reflection that is not her own. It's almost as if someone -- or something -- is trying to send her a message.

Meanwhile, a killer is stalking Los Angeles -- a killer who reenacts famous movie murder scenes. Could Willa's strange visions have to do with these unsolved murders? Or is she going crazy? And who can she confide in? There's Marnie, her new friend who may not be totally trustworthy. And there's Reed, who's ridiculously handsome and seems to get Willa. There's also Wyatt, who's super smart but unhealthily obsessed with the Hollywood Killer.

All Willa knows is, she has to confront the possible-ghost in her house, or she just might lose her mind . . . or her life.

Acclaimed author Katie Alender puts an unforgettable twist on this spine-chilling tale of murder, mystery, mayhem -- and the movies.

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Stripes Publishing launch YA horror list

 

Stripes Publishing, part of Little Tiger Press, is expanding its reach in the YA market with a new horror list.

“Our heartland is series publishing and we were looking for a gap in he YA market,” said commissioning editor Katie Jennings. “We thought a horror YA series was something that no-one else was really doing.”

Four books on the list will publish this year: Sleepless by Lou Morgan, Frozen Charlotte by Alex Bell, Bad Bones by Graham Marks and House of Blood by Simon Cheshire.

Sleepless and Frozen Charlotte will be released in July then all four books will be published in paperback in September. The books will be priced at £6.99 in both formats.

All the authors have been published before but are not necessarily known for horror. “We wanted to bring in fresh talent and were looking for people with passion first of all,” said Jennings.

Each book focuses on a different aspect of horror. Frozen Charlotte is a murder mystery with a supernatural bent, Sleepless explores what happens when a drug trip goes wrong, and House of Blood is a “house of horror” tale. Finally, Bad Bones is about the theft of buried Inca gold and an evil priest’s revenge.

 

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

Magisterium by Cassandra Clare & Holly Black 

Random House Children’s Publishers UK (RHCP) are excited to announce the acquisition of a powerful new YA fantasy series from global bestsellers, Holly Black and Cassandra Clare.

UK & Commonwealth rights for the MAGISTERIUM series were bought by Becky Stradwick, Editorial Director at RHCP UK from by Heather Baror Shapiro at Baror International Inc, in a major deal.  The series launches with The Iron Trial, which will be published by Doubleday this September. 

RHCP are launching an ambitious marketing campaign; a pre-awareness operation starting over the summer, inviting readers to complete monthly online trials, unlocking exclusive content and prizes. There will also be sampling stunts in schools and cinemas to reach a wider audience, leading up to an author tour around publication this autumn, when Holly and Cassie will tour the UK for signings, literary festivals and events across the country. 

To see Holly and Cassie talking about the series, please watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4iJIHbiW88

About Magisterium Book 1: The Iron Trial

Callum Hunt has grown up knowing three rules by heart. Never trust a magician. Never pass a test a magician gives you. And never let a magician take you to the Magisterium. Callum is about to break all the rules. And when he does, his life will change in ways he can’t possibly imagine. The Magisterium series is a five-book series of fantasy novels, one book for each year of Callum’s life as he struggles between the forces of good and evil, and discovers his true destiny. 

 

 

Seed by Lisa Heathfield

Egmont Books is thrilled to announce the acquisition of two novels by Brighton-based author Lisa Heathfield. The first book, Seed, will publish in spring 2015 with the sequel planned for 2016.

Seed is a chilling coming-of-age story of life within a cult. Fifteen-year-old Pearl has lived her whole life within the small community at Seed, where they worship Nature and idolise their leader, Papa S. But when some outsiders arrive, everything changes. Pearl experiences feelings that she never knew existed and begins to realize that there is darkness at heart of Seed. A darkness from which she must escape, before it's too late.

Ali Dougal, Fiction Editorial Director at Egmont, bought World English rights at auction from Veronique Baxter at David Higham.

"Lisa Heathfield is an exciting new British voice in YA fiction," commented Dougal. "Seed presses all the right buttons for YA readers, exploring themes of self-discovery, budding romance, trust, secrets, and decoding the world around you. Told in the naïve voice of a girl who knows nothing of the real world, it is haunting and heartbreaking in equal measure. Everyone here is desperate to read the sequel."

What You Left Behind by Jessica Verdi

Annette Pollert at Sourcebooks Fire has bought Jessica Verdi's new novel, What You Left Behind, about a teen wrestling with the guilt that if he hadn't gotten his girlfriend pregnant, she wouldn't have postponed her chemo treatments – and would still be alive. But as Rhy struggles to be a good father and grieve his girlfriend's death, he uncovers secrets that will make him reconsider every relationship in his life. Kate McKean at Howard Morhaim Literary Agency brokered the deal for North American rights. 

The Museum of Hearbreak by Meg Leder

Sara Sargent at Simon Pulse has acquired The Museum of Heartbreak by Meg Leder, an editor at Perigee Books and co-author of The Happy Book. Pitched as Eleanor & Park meets Why We Broke Up, the YA novel tells the story of 17-year-old Penelope Marx, whose first love ends their relationship unceremoniously. She decides to curate the artifacts of their time together to help tell her story and heal her broken heart. Publication is scheduled for summer 2016; Michael Bourret at Dystel & Goderich did the deal for North American rights. 

In Real Life by Jessica Love

Kat Brzozowski at Thomas Dunne Books has bought Push Girl co-author Jessica Love's In Real Life, set over one wild weekend in Las Vegas in which 17-year-old Hannah surprises her online BFF and soul mate Nick with their first real-life meeting – and discovers just how many secrets he has left unshared. The projected pub date is 2015; Jill Corcoran at Jill Corcoran Literary Agency negotiated for North American rights. 

Burning by Danielle Rollins

Mary Kate Castellani at Bloomsbury Children's has acquired Burning by debut author Danielle Rollins, a YA horror novel pitched as Orange Is the New Black meets Carrie. Set within a juvenile detention facility, the book stars Angela, a girl just weeks from being released when she gets a new cellmate – a tiny yet dangerous 10-year-old who may be starting fires with her mind. It will be co-published with Ellen Holgate of Bloomsbury U.K. in January 2016; Mandy Hubbard at D4EO Literary Agency brokered the two-book deal for world English rights. 

Romancing the Dark in the City of Light by Ann Jacobus

Kat Brzozowski at Thomas Dunne Books has bought Ann Jacobus's Romancing the Dark in the City of Light, in which a troubled teen living in Paris is torn between one boy who encourages her to embrace life and another – dark, dangerous, and deadly attractive – who tempts her to succumb to her fatal flaws. It's scheduled for 2015; Erzsi Deàk at Hen & Ink negotiated for North American rights. 

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More Book Covers of Awesome...

Love, Lucy by April Lindner || Release date: January 2015

While backpacking through Florence, Italy, during the summer before she heads off to college, 17-year-old Lucy Sommersworth finds herself falling in love with the culture, the architecture, the food...and Jesse Palladino, a handsome street musician. After a whirlwind romance, Lucy returns home, determined to move on from her "vacation flirtation." But just because summer is over doesn't mean Lucy and Jesse are over, too.

Inspired by E.M. Forster's A Room with a View.

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 Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid || Release date: July 2014

Five strangers. Countless adventures.One epic way to get lost.

Four teens across the country have only one thing in common: a girl named LEILA. She crashes into their lives in her absurdly red car at the moment they need someone the most.

There's HUDSON, a small-town mechanic who is willing to throw away his dreams for true love. And BREE, a runaway who seizes every Tuesday—and a few stolen goods along the way. ELLIOT believes in happy endings…until his own life goes off-script. And SONIA worries that when she lost her boyfriend, she also lost the ability to love.

Hudson, Bree, Elliot and Sonia find a friend in Leila. And when Leila leaves them, their lives are forever changed. But it is during Leila's own 4,268-mile journey that she discovers the most important truth— sometimes, what you need most is right where you started. And maybe the only way to find what you're looking for is to get lost along the way. 

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 Black Dove, White Raven by Elizabeth Wein || Release date: August 2014

A story of survival, subterfuge, espionage and identity.

Rhoda and Delia are American stunt pilots who perform daring aerobatics to appreciative audiences. But while the sight of two girls wingwalking – one white, one black – is a welcome novelty in some parts of the USA, it’s an anathema in others. Rhoda and Delia dream of living in a world where neither gender nor ethnicity determines their life. When Delia is killed in a tragic accident, Rhoda is determined to make that dream come true. She moves to Ethiopia with her daughter, Em, and Delia’s son, Teo.

Em and Teo have adapted to scratching a living in a strange land, and feel at home here; but their parents’ legacy of flight and the ability to pilot a plane places them in an elite circle of people watched carefully by the Ethiopian emperor, Haile Selassie, who dreams of creating an air force for his fledgling nation. As Italy prepares for its invasion of Ethiopia, Em and Teo find themselves inextricably entangled in the crisis — and they are called on to help. 

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Harder by Robin York || Release date: July 2014 

(synopsis not included in case of spoilers. You can read it here.)

US Cover

 

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Fall From India Place by Samantha Young || Release date: June 2014

When Hannah Nichols last saw Marco D’Alessandro, five long years ago, he broke her heart. The bad boy with a hidden sweet side was the only guy Hannah ever loved—and the only man she’s ever been with. After one intense night of giving into temptation, Marco took off, leaving Scotland and Hannah behind. Shattered by the consequences of their night together, Hannah has never truly moved on.

Leaving Hannah was the biggest mistake of Marco’s life, something he has deeply regretted for years. So when fate reunites them, he refuses to let her go without a fight. Determined to make her his, Marco pursues Hannah, reminding her of all the reasons they’re meant to be together.…

But just when Marco thinks they’re committed to a future together, Hannah makes a discovery that unearths the secret pain she’s been hiding from him, a secret that could tear them apart before they have a real chance to start over again. 
 

US Cover

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So many exciting books coming up over the next few months. I cannot wait to read Harder and I'm dying to read the new Samantha Young! A new book from Josie Angelini is always cause for excitement, and I also love, love, love the sound of In Real Life by Jessica Love --it sounds like a YA Catfish. If you haven't heard of Catfish it's an MTV show (and a documentary) and is a total guilty pleasure of mine. Love the sound of Katie Alender's new book too and I've been looking forward to Love, Lucy for a long time! I'm kind of surprised that one is getting a January release - it sounds like such a summer read!

As always let me know your thoughts on the latest round-up in comments! What books do you love the sound of? What covers are your faves? 

Please note that book covers may not be final and may be subject to change.  Additional sources:  PW Children's Bookshelf, Entertainment Weekly, The Bookseller, Edelweiss & Goodreads.