Cover Reveal: The Bitter Side of Sweet by Tara Sullivan

You might remember Sullivan from her 2013 novel GOLDEN BOY, a highly acclaimed story about an albino boy in East Africa and his more than unsupportive family. Happy to report there is a new novel due out in 2016. Check out....

The Bitter Side of Sweet by Tara Sullivan
February 23, 2016 from G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Fifteen-year-old Amadou counts the things that matter. For two long years, what’s mattered are cacao pods. The more Amadou can chop down in a single day, the better his chances are of keeping the bosses’ beatings at bay, keeping himself and his little brother, Seydou, alive and then maybe, just maybe, returning home to Baba and Auntie. At least he hopes so. But the bosses won’t tell him the number that matters most—the number that equals freedom.

When the boys first left their farm life in Mali, they only wanted to make some money to help their impoverished family survive the lean times. They never imagined they’d end up as forced labor on a cacao plantation in the Ivory Coast. But that’s exactly what happened, and each day that passes, they lose a little more fight, a little more hope that they’ll ever be free or see their home again.

Then one day, a girl—Khadija arrives at the camp. There’s never been a girl on the farm before and she is a wild thing; she fights every day to get away—reawakening old impulses in Amadou to run. But when the bosses finally break her, and the unthinkable happens to Seydou, Amadou understands the only choice left—the only choice they’ve ever had—is to run . . . or die without their loved ones ever knowing what happened to them. The three band together as family and try just once more for home.

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You can find Sullivan at her wesbite

Cover Reveal: The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle by Janet Fox

The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle by Janet Fox

March 2016 from Viking Children's Books

Something is not right at Rookskill Castle, a rundown Scottish manor shrouded in mystery. The castle is a temporary boarding school for children escaping the Blitz, but soon it’s clear there is something terribly wrong. There are clues hinting that a spy is in the house, and there are undeniable signs of a sinister magic. When the children in the castle’s temporary boarding school begin disappearing one by one, it’s a race against the clock for twelve-year-old Kat Bateson, her two younger siblings, and their new best friend.

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You can find Fox at her website

Yay, Janet Fox has a new book coming and it's her debut middle grade! Scottish castles, magic, and hopefully really cranky and sinister teachers are in store for us. I also hear that this will be available in audio as well - cheers to you, Janet!  

Cover Reveal: Mortal Gods (Goddess War #2) by Kendare Blake

Mortal Gods by Kendare Blake
September 1st, 2014 from Orchard Books

(unofficial blurb that I didn't make up myself, but came from a pretty rad source)
Cassandra Weaver is a weapon of fate. The girl who kills gods. But all she wants is for the god she loved and lost to return to life. If she can't have that, then the other gods will burn, starting with his murderer, Aphrodite.

The alliance between Cassandra and Athena is fragile. Cassandra suspects Athena lacks the will to truly kill her own family. And Athena fears that Cassandra's hate will get them all killed.

Cover Reveals: Percy Jackson Series

A few weeks ago we were told that PERCY JACKSON was getting a whole new look! Here is what Riordan said about the above image "Here is the final painting that was created for the new Percy Jackson Covers. A new look, but also a tribute to the originals. Re-creating your own art is fun and challenging..."

The new look by artist John Rocco, who’s illustrated all the Percy covers since the first rejacketing of THE LIGHTENING THIEF in 2006, is here!.#PercyUnCovered!

Cover Reveal & Giveaway: Don't Touch by Rachel M. Wilson

Don't Touch by Rachel M. Wilson
September 2nd, 2014 from HarperTeen

Step on a crack, break your mother’s back.

Touch another person’s skin, and Dad’s gone for good…

Caddie has a history of magical thinking—of playing games in her head to cope with her surroundings—but it’s never been this bad before.

When her parents split up, don’t touch becomes Caddie’s mantra. Maybe if she keeps from touching another person’s skin, Dad will come home. She knows it doesn’t make sense, but her games have never been logical. Soon, despite Alabama’s humidity, she’s covering every inch of skin and wearing evening gloves to school.

And that’s where things get tricky. Even though Caddie’s the new girl, it’s hard to play off her compulsions as artistic quirks. Friends notice things.Her drama class is all about interacting with her scene partners, especially Peter, who’s auditioning for the role of Hamlet. Caddie desperately wants to play Ophelia, but if she does, she’ll have to touch Peter…and kiss him. Part of Caddie would love nothing more than to kiss Peter—but the other part isn’t sure she’s brave enough to let herself fall.

Sneak Peak: Fat Boy vs the Cheerleaders by Geoff Herbach

Fat Boy vs the Cheerleaders by Geoff Herbach
June 10th, 2014 from Sourcebooks Fire

In FAT BOY VS. THE CHEERLEADERS, Gabe Johnson is waging war against the in-crowd to prove that he is not just some fat boy, but the leader of a revolution. Geoff Herbach is the author of the hilarious novels STUPID FAST and I’M WITH STUPID, which YALSA calls “One of the most real, honest, and still funny male voices to come around in a while.”

Lucky for us we can read the first chapter right HERE!

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You can find Herback at his website

Cover Reveal: Wish You Were Italian by Kristin Rae

Wish You Were Italian by Kristin Rae

May 6th, 2014 from Bloomsbury

Pippa always wanted to go to Italy, but not by herself. And not to sit in a classroom the summer before senior year learning about paintings by dead guys. Tempted by the romance of Rome and the chance to photograph ancient ruins, Pippa ditches the program and sets her own list of goals - get my picture taken at the Colosseum; get a makeover; fall in love with an Italian.

She befriends a local girl whose gorgeous cousin may be just the Italian Pippa’s looking for, but the road to amore gets detoured when she keeps running into a cute American student. And she can’t forget that her summer abroad is only temporary. As she explores the famous cities of Rome and Pompeii, Pippa must sort out her feelings before her parents figure out where she really is.

Cover Reveal & Giveaway: Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy

I am BEYOND excited to share a glimpse of my buddy-ole-pal's debut book cover reveal! I've been looking forward to this since the early 90s when we met at The Cure concert! (totally kidding, but that would be totally rad). Anyhoods, you'll love the complete cover and when you get to know Julie, you'll love her too!

Here is a teaser: "Her lying here, next to me, her body curving into mine. It was perfect except that she was dying and I was living and I didn’t know how we could do both at the same time." - Harvey

art work by Annemieke Beemster Leverenz 

What if you’d been living your life as if you were dying—only to find out that you had your whole future ahead of you?

When sixteen-year-old Alice is diagnosed with leukemia, her prognosis is grim. To maximize the time she does have, she vows to spend her final months righting wrongs—however she sees fit. She convinces her friend Harvey, whom she knows has always had feelings for her, to help her with a crazy bucket list that’s as much about revenge (humiliating her ex-boyfriend and getting back at her arch nemesis) as it is about hope (doing something unexpectedly kind for a stranger and reliving some childhood memories). But just when Alice’s scores are settled, she goes into remission.

Cover Reveal: Pretty Sly (Pretty Crooked #2) by Elisa Ludwig

Pretty Sly (Pretty Crooked #2) by Elisa Ludwig

March 18th, 2014 from Katherine Tegen Books

Willa Fox was told to stay out of trouble. In fact, it was an order from a very serious juvenile court judge.

However, that was before Willa found her house ransacked and a mysterious email from her mother telling Willa she had to leave Paradise Valley for a while and not to come looking for her. Willa knows her mom’s in danger and that no one at school will miss her after her recent sticky-fingered stunts with the Glitterati. So with the help of her pal Tre and with her degenerate crush Aidan as her wingman, Willa violates her probation and hits the California highway in search of her mom.

But when Willa and Aidan’s journey turns dangerously criminal and they wind up being the focus of a national manhunt, they realize it’s sometimes easier to escape the law than the truth—and that everything Willa thought she knew about her mom, and her life, was wrong.

Cover Reveal: Fragile Spirits (Shattered Souls #2) by Mary Lindsey

Fragile Spirits (Shattered Souls #2) by Mary Lindsey
January 23th, 2014 from Philomel

Paul has always known he was a Protector, fated to serve a Speaker who could hear the voices of spirits lingering after death and help those souls find peace.

Vivienne ignores the voices of the dead.

Paul has always followed the Protector’s rule book, preparing diligently for the day when he’d be matched with his Speaker and fulfill his destiny.

Vivienne never does what she’s told.

Cover Reveal: The Sound of Letting Go by Stasia Ward Kehoe

The Sound of Letting Go by Stasia Ward Kehoe
February 1st, 2014 from Penguin

For sixteen years, Daisy has been good. A good daughter, helping out with her autistic younger brother uncomplainingly. A good friend, even when her best friend makes her feel like a third wheel. When her parents announce they’re sending her brother to an institution—without consulting her—Daisy’s furious, and decides the best way to be a good sister is to start being bad. She quits jazz band and orchestra, slacks in school, and falls for bad-boy Dave.

But one person won’t let Daisy forget who she used to be: Irish exchange student and brilliant musician Cal. Does she want the bad boy or the prodigy? Should she side with her parents or protect her brother? How do you know when to hold on and when—and how—to let go?

Cover & First Chapter Reveal: Scorched by Mari Mancusi

Scorched by Mari Mancusi
September 3rd, 2013 by Sourcebooks Fire

Sixteen-year-old Trinity Brown is used to her grandfather's crazy stories, so she never believed the latest treasure he brought home was a real dragon's egg. Not until their home is invaded by soldiers trying to steal it and a strange boy who tells her the world as she knows it will be wiped out in a fiery dragon war—unless they work together to stop it. Meantime, there's a different voice whispering to Trinity, calling to her, telling her what to do...the dragon inside her egg is not ready to give up without a fight.

READ THE FIRST CHAPTER

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You can find Mancusi at her website

A note from Mari!

Cover Reveal: Stained by Cheryl Rainfield

Stained by Cheryl Rainfield
November 19th, 2013 from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

In this heart-wrenching and suspenseful teen thriller, sixteen-year-old Sarah Meadows longs for "normal." Born with a port-wine stain covering half her face, all her life she’s been plagued by stares, giggles, bullying, and disgust. But when she’s abducted on the way home from school, Sarah is forced to uncover the courage she never knew she had, become a hero rather than a victim, and learn to look beyond her face to find the beauty and strength she has inside. It’s that—or succumb to a killer.

Cover Reveal: Riptide by Lindsey Scheibe

Riptide by Lindsey Scheibe
May 8th, 2013 from Flux

One summer...
Endless possibilities.

17-year-old Grace is fully aware her best friend Ford has a crush on her, but she refuses to acknowledge it. Surfing with him is the only time she forgets about her abusive father, stifling mother, and the pressure to be impossibly perfect. She's not willing to risk their lifelong friendship to find out if it could be something more.

No matter how tempting it may be.

All Grace wants is to graduate, get out of the house, and make the UC San Diego surf team. The problem? She's never had the guts to sign up for a competition, the only way she'll ever get noticed by the UC scouts. Until that is, Ford does it for her.

Cover Reveal: Solstice by P.J. Hoover

Solstice by P.J. Hoover

June 2013 from TorTeen

Each day brings hotter temperatures and heat bubbles that threaten to destroy the earth. Amid this global heating crisis, Piper lives under the oppressive rule of her mother, who suffocates her even more than the weather does. Everything changes on her eighteenth birthday, when her mother is called away on a mysterious errand and Piper seizes her first opportunity for freedom.

Piper discovers a universe she never knew existed—a sphere of gods and monsters—and realizes that her world is not the only one in crisis. While gods battle for control of the Underworld, Piper’s life spirals out of control as she struggles to find the answer to the secret that has been kept from her since birth.

An imaginative melding of mythology and dystopia, Solstice is the first YA novel by talented newcomer P. J. Hoover.

I am thrilled to share the cover for Solstice by my good friend P.J. Hoover! She is another shining example of why Texas writers rock! I read Solstice and just loved it! I find mind myself recommending it in the library to girls who love mythology then I have to remember that it isn't even out yet. Zoinks! 

The cover is exactly what this book is about, and the blurb for Texas' own Cynthia Leitich Smith sums it up: “Solstice is one red-hot read—it intrigues, sizzles, and satisfies.” Bookmark this one and set your sights on one hot read in June 2013! Congrats, P.J.!

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You can find Hoover at her website, blog, and at Texas Sweethearts & Scoundrels

Find Solstice on Facebook

To celebrate, Hoover is hosting a giveaway! Check it out HERE

Cover Reveal: Winger by Andrew Smtih

Are you sick of me saying it yet? I effing love Andrew Smith! Seriously, one of my favorite authors. He can write a truly twisted tale like The Marbury Lens  and it's highly anticipated sequel Passenger, then blow your mind with a coming of age contemporary like Stick. Both were, and still are, tops in my book and I recommend them in the library just about every day. So when Andrew started talking about Winger by S&S earlier this year, his fans, including moi, have been waiting patiently for the cover. And now, it's here! Too good not to share:

Totally different from his other three books, and I love it! On his blog, Andrew has filled us in about this boy. Here is the offish synopsis:

Cover Reveal: Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
January 22nd, 2013 from Egmont USA

There are people in this world who are Nobody. No one sees them. No one notices them. They live their lives under the radar, forgotten as soon as you turn away.

That’s why they make the perfect assassins.

The Institute finds these people when they’re young and takes them away for training. But an untrained Nobody is a threat to their organization. And threats must be eliminated.

Sixteen-year-old Claire has been invisible her whole life, missed by the Institute’s monitoring. But now they’ve ID’ed her and send seventeen-year-old Nix to remove her. Yet the moment he lays eyes on her, he can’t make the hit. It’s as if Claire and Nix are the only people in the world for each other. And they are—because no one else ever notices them.

Check out the Prologue:

One week earlier . . .

Nine letters. Two words. He refused to think of them as a name. With detached objectivity, his steady hands set the thin white paper, with its evenly spaced black lettering, to the side.

Cover Reveal: Doomed by Tracy Deebs

Doomed by Tracy Deebs

January 8th, 2013 from Bloomsbury Walker

Beat the game. Save the world.

Pandora’s just your average teen, glued to her cell phone and laptop, surfing Facebook and e-mailing with her friends, until the day her long-lost father sends her a link to a mysterious site featuring twelve photos of her as a child. Unable to contain her curiosity, Pandora enters the site, where she is prompted to play her favorite virtual-reality game, Zero Day. This unleashes a global computer virus that plunges the whole world into panic: suddenly, there is no Internet. No cell phones. No utilities, traffic lights, hospitals, law enforcement. Pandora teams up with handsome stepbrothers Eli and Theo to enter the virtual world of Zero Day. Simultaneously, she continues to follow the photographs from her childhood in an attempt to beat the game and track down her father, her one key to saving the world as we know it. Part The Matrix, part retelling of the Pandora myth, Doomed has something for gaming fans, dystopian fans, and romance fans alike.

You know I love and support our Texas authors! You remember Deebs from her Tempest Rising series and you can meet her at Austin Teen Book Festival this September. Yay!

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You can find Deebs at her website

MundieMoms is hosting a giveaway, pop on over and enter HERE

Cover Reveal - The Mephisto Kiss (The Mephiso Covenant #2) by Trinity Faegen

The Mephisto Kiss (The Mephiso Covenant #2) by Trinity Faegen

September 5th, 2012 from Egmont

The eyes never lie. No one’s eyes are darker than Eryx's. Not even the Devil’s.

When Jax and Sasha first see Jordan Ellis, they know she is no ordinary teenager. She’s the daughter of the President after all, but she’s also Anabo - a descendant of Eve.

What they don’t know is that Eryx plans to kidnap Jordan and force President Ellis to pledge his soul. If Eryx’s plot succeeds, the consequences would be catastrophic.

But the Mephisto brothers do know about Jordan’s secret identity. And for one of them, she could be the match that leads to their soul’s salvation.

Now it’s a desperate race against time to save Jordan and prevent Eryx’s haunting eyes from discovering her true identity.

Cover Reveal - Passenger (The Marbury Lens #2) by Andrew Smith

I've said it a thousand times and I'll say it again, I HEART ME SOME ANDREW SMITH! I got a lovely email yesterday that held the cover to his newest book, Passenger, which is the much anticipated sequel to The Marbury Lens. You can find my review right HERE and an interview HERE. You may have also heard of Stick, one of my absolute top five from 2010. It's a fantastic contemporary set in the 1970s that will blow your mind. Read my review right HERE and an interview HERE. Now, let's get on with the reveal:

Jack and Conner have a plan.

They think it's the only reasonable way to deal with the Marbury lens.

But the four boys - Jack, Conner, Ben, and Griffin - end up scattered in different places at different times. Jack is lost in a Marbury that isn't Marbury, a Glenbrook that isn't Glenbrook, pursued through every crumbling not-world by an uncaring cop trying to solve the mystery of Freddie Horvath's murder, and a deceitful kid named Quinn Cahill who believes he is the King of Marbury. Jack's universe is collapsing in on itself. He finds his friends. He finds his home.

There's always just one thing, and Jack knows it.

This can't be it.