Happy Book Birthday to The Way of the Wombat + Blog Tour!

The day has finally arrived: the release of THE WAY OF THE WOMBAT: QUEST FOR GRAY IRONBARK, a middle grade animal fantasy/adventure! You can now buy it in hardcopy or ebook form here on Amazon!

Which Way would you follow?

When Laz, a young wombat, goes from playing a game with his friend Kita in their idyllic tribal village to witnessing the nightmare of a Tasmanian devil attack, he reacts in the only way he can: he fights back. He accidentally kills a devil while trying to save his sister, but his sister is still taken captive. To make matters worse, the tribal elders banish Laz, Kita and Zeeg—the three youths who fought back—for failing to follow the way of the wombat.

Frustrated and adrift, the three friends embark on a quest through red rocky deserts and deep eucalyptus jungles to discover their own way. With a cheerful koala warrior as a guide and a wise platypus as their trainer, they hope to survive long enough to find a legendary weapon that could save their tribe and Laz’s sister from the devils. But danger lurks around every tree…

Find your own way at WhomBatz.com!
***

And guess what? There’s the official blog tour starting today! Check out the schedule:

February 9th: CBY Book  Club 10 RANDOM THINGS
February 10th:  A Dream Within A Dream REVIEW
February 11th: Sher A Hart REVIEW
February 12th: Me, My Shelf and I REVIEW
February 13th: Brooke Blogs EXCERPT
February 14th: Cassandra M’s Place SPOTLIGHT
February 15th: Insane About Books REVIEW

Enter to win the grand prize of two WhomBatz foam swords (a black and a blue Thorn) + a copy of the book! Second prize wins a copy of the book, too.

Enjoy!

AdriAnne shares a home base in Alaska with her husband, but has spent two cumulative years living abroad in Africa, Asia, and Europe. While writing occupies most of her time, she commercial fishes every summer in Bristol Bay, because she can’t seem to stop. Her YA sci-fi/fantasy, WORDLESS, launched August 8th, 2014 from Flux Books. You can follow her on Twitter and like her on Facebook.

A foray into middle grade involving wombats (this is actually happening)

Howdy all! Sorry I have been MIA—crises of various sorts and sequel due dates have kept me away (yes, I just turned in a revised version of LIFELESS, the sequel to my YA sci-fi-/fantasy debut, WORDLESS, to my editor!).

But, now I’m back and I have some wild news involving wombats and writing middle grade fantasy adventure.

You heard correctly: wombats!

In case you didn’t know, wombats are adorable, furry, and, at times, ferocious marsupials that live in Australia. Check them out:

Or, for my purposes, sometimes they look like this:

The wombat above is roughly what the star of my new middle grade series, The Way of the Wombat, looks like. The first installment, THE QUEST FOR GRAY IRONBARK, kicks off February 2^nd, 2015! But first, there will be a cover reveal Dec. 22^nd—coming right up, so keep an eye out for it! Not only that, but I’ll be revealing some a few of the amazing illustrations along the way and giving away cool prizes.

Check out the book’s description below:

Which Way would you follow?

When Laz, a young wombat, goes from playing a game with his friend Kita in their idyllic tribal village to witnessing the nightmare of a Tasmanian devil attack, he reacts in the only way he can: he fights back. He accidentally kills a devil while trying to save his sister, but his sister is still taken captive. To make matters worse, the tribal elders banish Laz, Kita and Zeeg—the three youths who fought back—for failing to follow the way of the wombat.

Frustrated and adrift, the three friends embark on a quest through red rocky deserts and deep eucalyptus jungles to discover their own way. With a cheerful koala warrior as a guide and a wise platypus as their trainer, they hope to survive long enough to find a legendary weapon that could save their tribe and Laz’s sister from the devils. But danger lurks around every tree…

Add it to Goodreads here, or pre-order the ebook on Amazon here!

How did this happen, you might ask? It’s a valid question, since I typically write YA.

The truth is, I wouldn’t have done it on my own. WhomBatz, LLC, a foam sword company, approached me to write the backstory for their line of toys, geared toward ages 8-12 and based around their mascot, a wombat. As I’ve said, middle grade isn’t usually my thing, but I’ve always wanted to write a story about anthropomorphic animals, since I essentially grew up ingesting Brian Jacques’s Redwall series (I even wrote a poem around said-series in fifth grade that was published in my elementary school anthology *looks self-important*).  Not only that, but I would get to explore a whole new type of animal—marsupials!—in a less common landscape—the Australian outback.

Also, one of the founders of WhomBatz just so happens to be my husband, and he asked nicely.

Since WhomBatz wanted The Way of the Wombat to be entirely in their control as far as release, distribution, marketing, branding, etc, they’re acting as the publisher. It’s fun—while I get more control, too, I still have an editor, an illustrator, a book designer, a marketing plan, all funded by someone else, so it’s been a pretty new and exciting experience.

I’m really proud of this book and WhomBatz’s incredibly awesome line of toys, and I hope you all will enjoy them too!

So, like I said, keep an eye out for The Way of the Wombat: The Quest for Gray Ironbark, coming February 2^nd, 2015, and its cover reveal on December 22^nd—there will be all sorts of fun prizes, including free books, gift cards, sneak peeks at the art, and foam swords! And check out WhomBatz here!

Xx,

AdriAnne

AdriAnne shares a home base in Alaska with her husband, but has spent two cumulative years living abroad in Africa, Asia, and Europe. While writing occupies most of her time, she commercial fishes every summer in Bristol Bay, because she can’t seem to stop. Her YA sci-fi/fantasy, WORDLESS, launched August 8th, 2014 from Flux Books. You can follow her on Twitter and like her on Facebook.

Happy Launch Day to Christina Farley’s SILVERN

The BookYArd Writers are so excited to celebrate the release of another one our books–and this one a sequel! Today is the launch of SILVERN by Christina Farley!

Here’s the description for SILVERN (spoiler warning for GILDED, Book 1!):

Jae Hwa Lee has destroyed Haemosu, the dangerous demi-god that held her ancestors captive, and now she’s ready to forget about immortals and move on with her life. Then the god of darkness, Kud, sends an assassin to kill her. Jae escapes with the knowledge that Kud is seeking the lost White Tiger Orb, and joins the Guardians of Shinshi to seek out the orb before Kud can find it.

But Kud is stronger and more devious than Haemosu ever was. Jae is soon painfully reminded that by making an enemy of Kud, she has placed her closest friends in danger, and must decide how much she can bear to sacrifice to defeat one of the most powerful immortals in all of Korea.

Can’t wait to read it? You can find SILVERN at Indiebound, B&N, & Amazon.

Are you excited about this book yet? The BookYArd Writers definitely are.

Here’s what we have to say about this awesome fantasy sequel:

Books with diverse Asian mythology is what the world needs more of, and Silvern is exactly that! More kickass Korean heroines, more fierce battles, and more supernatural forces to overcome – Christina Farley’s sequel is gonna rock!

– Rin Chupeco, THE GIRL FROM THE WELL

 

Christina Farley packs a punch by upping the stakes and igniting readers’ imaginations with rich setting and mythology in SILVERN! No sophomore slump here!

– Sarah Bromley, A MURDER OF MAGPIES

 

 

Immortals, assassins, and sacrifice! If like me, you loved GILDED, you’ll want to eat this exciting new sequel whole!

– Mary Crockett, DREAM BOY

 

 

I didn’t want GILDED to end, and now I get my wish with a sequel. I can’t wait to dive into more of this rich, diverse fantasy world, packed with action, mythology, and romance!

– AdriAnne Strickland, WORDLESS

 

I have been waiting for this book since the day I finished GILDED. The depth of the characters, the world-building, the lyrical play of Korean mythology…SILVERN was everything I thought it would be and more. Hat’s off to Christina Farley for taking the fantasy genre to an entirely new level!

– Trisha Leaver, SECRETS WE KEEP and CREED

Here’s some more about Christina:

Christina was born and raised in upstate New York. As a child, she loved to explore, which later inspired her to jump on a plane and travel the world. She taught at international schools in Asia for ten years, eight of which were in the mysterious and beautiful city of Seoul, Korea that became the setting of GILDED. Currently she lives in Clermont, FL with her husband and two sons—that is until the travel itch whisks her off to a new unknown. She is represented by the black-belt of an agent, Jeff Ourvan of the Jennifer Lyons Literary Agency, LLC. GILDED is her first novel.

Find out more about Christina on her website!

 

WORDLESS Giveaways Galore and LIFELESS Cover Reveal!

Hey all! It’s been an exciting week for me with the release of my debut YA sci-fi/fantasy, WORDLESS! With all of this excitement comes a lot of giveaways, so I’ll give you the lowdown!

First off, my blog tour with Me, My Shelf and I went swimmingly! Even better, there’s still time to enter the giveaway. Grand prize is a signed copy of WORDLESS + swag, plus a $25 Barnes and Noble gift card. TWO runner ups will receive signed copies of WORDLESS + swag. So go check it out and enter!

There’s less time for this one, but on my own blog, you can enter the WORDLESS Guess-the-Character Giveaway (before midnight, tonight). Corinne Duyvis drew amazing portraits for the five main characters of WORDLESS, and a blog post featuring each “mystery character” also has a Rafflecopter to guess who they are. Check them out, and click on the portraits if you have a guess! You could win one of FIVE cool WORDLESS-themed prizes (that include a journal, a Sigg water bottle, chocolate, etc….) plus a poster of all the characters!

Also, the wonderful MG Buehrlen interviewed me for her YA Authors as YAs series over at her blog. Not only can you learn all sorts of geeky factoids about me as a teen, but you can enter her giveaway for a signed copy of WORDLESS + swag!

And last but not least… the cover reveal for LIFELESS, the sequel to WORDLESS, over at Icey Books! Check it out below, but be sure to head to Icey Books to enter to enter the giveaway for yet another signed copy of WORDLESS + swag!

What do you think? Well, that about wraps it up, folks. Good luck!

-Adri out

AdriAnne shares a home base in Alaska with her husband, but has spent two cumulative years living abroad in Africa, Asia, and Europe. While writing occupies most of her time, she commercial fishes every summer in Bristol Bay, because she can’t seem to stop. Her YA sci-fi/fantasy, WORDLESS, debuted August 8th, 2014 from Flux Books. You can follow her on Twitter and like her on Facebook.

 

THE GIRL FROM THE WELL emerges today!

Ready to get seriously creeped out? Good! Rin Chupeco has a little something for you.

Today we’re celebrating the launch of Rin’s THE GIRL FROM THE WELL, a book that is as scary as it is insightful. Here’s there word from Goodreads:

You may think me biased, being murdered myself. But my state of being has nothing to do with the curiosity toward my own species, if we can be called such. We do not go gentle, as your poet encourages, into that good night.

A dead girl walks the streets.

She hunts murderers. Child killers, much like the man who threw her body down a well three hundred years ago.

And when a strange boy bearing stranger tattoos moves into the neighborhood so, she discovers, does something else. And soon both will be drawn into the world of eerie doll rituals and dark Shinto exorcisms that will take them from American suburbia to the remote valleys and shrines of Aomori, Japan.

Because the boy has a terrifying secret – one that would just kill to get out.

The Girl from the Well is A YA Horror novel pitched as “Dexter” meets “The Grudge”, based on a well-loved Japanese ghost story.

~

You’re ready to get this, right? Good news! You can find it at Indiebound, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and pretty much wherever books are sold!

Here’s what some other young adult writers have to say:

“I confess–I was creeped out just by reading the description. If you’re looking for a chilling story with some serious literary chops (starred PW review!), THE GIRL FROM THE WELL is the book for you!”

– Kate Hattemer, author of THE VIGILANTE POETS OF SELWYN ACADEMY

“It doesn’t get much better than “Dexter” meets “The Grudge” as far as what I look for in a horror novel. I love the international setting, and the voice sounds so unique and powerful–I can’t wait to read this!”

– AdriAnne Strickland, WORDLESS

“THE GIRL FROM THE WELL sounds creepy in the best possible way. I love how diverse and unique this book sounds. This book is going to be one thrilling, chilling ride.”

– Christina Farley, GILDED and SILVERN (forthcoming)

“An eerie YA horror reminiscent of movies like The Grudge and The Ring, THE GIRL FROM THE WELL is sure to scare you senseless!”

– Sarah Bromley, A MURDER OF MAGPIES

“‘I am where dead children go.’ Holy crap! I’ll be reading this one with all the lights on throughout the house!”

– Mary Crockett, DREAM BOY

 

 

 

 

 

THE GIRL WHO NEVER WAS: The Book That Is!

Here’s the first thing I will tell you about this book:

It is far, far better than that awful pun in the title of this blog post.

Here in the Bookyard, we’re all sprinting around, screaming in glee, overcome with fits of uncontrollable fist-pumping — because today, Skylar Dorset’s book is OUT IN THE WORLD!

Chuck Taylors, a red rose, and a reflecting pool that breaks the laws of optics: what’s not to love?

“Romantic, suspenseful, and witty all at once — ALICE IN WONDERLAND meets NEVERWHERE.” — Claudia Gray, New York Times bestselling author of the EVERNIGHT series

This book features Boston, young love, AND faerie princesses. How, you may ask? Take a look at the jacket copy.

THE GIRL WHO NEVER WAS is the story of Selkie Stewart, who thinks she’s a totally normal teenager growing up in Boston. Sure, her father is in an insane asylum, her mother left her on his doorstep—literally—when she was a baby, and she’s being raised by two ancient aunts who spend their time hunting gnomes in their Beacon Hill townhouse. But other than that her life is totally normal! She’s got an adventurous best friend who’s always got her back and an unrequited crush on an older boy named Ben. Just like any other teenager, right?

When Selkie goes in search of the mother she’s never known, she gets more than she bargained for. It turns out that her mother is faerie royalty, which would make Selkie a faerie princess—except for the part where her father is an ogre, which makes her only half of anything. Even more confusing, there’s a prophecy that Selkie is going to destroy the tyrannical Seelie Court, which is why her mother actually wants to kill her. Selkie has been kept hidden all her life by her adoring aunts, with the help of a Salem wizard named Will. And Ben. Because the boy she thinks she’s in love with turns out to be a faerie whose enchantment has kept her alive, but also kept her in the dark about her own life.

Now, with enchantments dissolved and prophecies swinging into action, Selkie finds herself on a series of mad quests to save the people she’s always loved and a life she’s learning to love. But in a supernatural world of increasingly complex alliances and distressingly complicated deceptions, it’s so hard to know who to trust. Does her mother really wish to kill her? Would Will sacrifice her for the sake of the prophecy? And does Ben really love her or is it all an elaborate ruse? In order to survive, Selkie realizes that the key is learning—and accepting—who she really is.

And if you’re as hooked as I am, check out the excerpt on Amazon!

GIVE ME THIS BOOK, you say!

You can have it with a few clicks: Indiebound | B&N | Amazon

You see that head? There’s some weird stuff going on in here.

Who’s behind THE GIRL WHO NEVER WAS? The brilliant Skylar Dorset, a born-and-bred New Englander who lives in Boston (mostly, it seems, due to her love for JOHNNY TREMAIN: our kind of woman!) with her cardboard Doctor Who cut-out and a head full of stories. You don’t want to miss her website, which includes lots of behind-the-scenes information about the book as well as a veritable smorgasbord of tastefully chosen GIFs.

What’s that you say? You want to hear more about why we’re so thrilled that June 3 has, at last, drawn nigh?

Well, if you twist my arm…

“Half-ogre and half-faerie? Gnome-hunting guardian aunts and a Salem wizard? There’s nothing I love more than a fantastical romp, whether it be through beautiful Boston or at the perils of a Seelie Court, and THE GIRL WHO NEVER WAS has that in spades — plus enchantments, faery magic, and prophecy! What more can you ask for from a gorgeous new debut?” — Rin Chupeco, THE GIRL FROM THE WELL

“Faeries, secrets, and finding love while trying to survive? I cannot wait to dive into Skylar Dorset’s THE GIRL WHO NEVER WAS!” — Sarah Bromley, A MURDER OF MAGPIES

“I had the luck to get my hands on an ARC of THE GIRL WHO NEVER WAS, so I can tell you that you’re in for a treat! Imaginative, fun, and wonderfully written! The world of books is better for having Skylar Dorset in it!” — Mary Crockett, DREAM BOY

“I also got my greedy hands on an ARC of THE GIRL WHO NEVER WAS, and it blew me away. The voice and writing are absolutely captivating, and the comparisons to ALICE IN WONDERLAND and Neil Gaiman’s NEVERWHERE are wonderfully apt. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up!” — AdriAnne Strickland, WORDLESS

“I’m such a fan of magic and fairy tales so this book is right up my alley. I love Dorset’s twist on selkies. THE GIRL WHO NEVER WAS gives enchantments and hidden pasts a whole new meaning.” — Christina Farley, GILDED

“As a new mom of a three-month-old baby girl, trust me when I say that I need books to whisk me away from diaper duty and infant howling! That’s why I’m so looking forward to Skylar Dorset’s THE GIRL WHO NEVER WAS. A story about a teenage girl who finds out she’s a half-faerie, half-ogre princess and who happens to have potentially murderous queen mother? Sign me right up!” — Caroline Richmond, THE ONLY THING TO FEAR

“You had me at gnomes and Beacon Hill. Toss in a bat-ass crazy dad and hot Selkie, and what’s not to love? Cannot get my hands on this book fast enough!” — Trisha Leaver, CREED

Okay. I’m trembling, either from bookish excitement or the large quantity of coffee ingested while drafting this post. I’ll impute it to the former. Skylar, from all the Bookyard writers, a sincere congratulations — and HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY!

A Celebration of The Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy

Hooray! The lovely and funny Kate Hattemer is releasing her debut novel, The Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy out into the world tomorrow!

We here at the BookYArd are thrilled to sound its barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world! (Yep, this book has gotten me so excited that I’m quoting Whitman.)

We’re yawping, Steve, not yelling… and here’s why:

Witty, sarcastic Ethan and his three friends decide to take down the reality TV show, For Art’s Sake, that is being filmed at their high school, the esteemed Selwyn Arts Academy, where each student is more talented than the next. While studying Ezra Pound in English class, the friends are inspired to write a vigilante long poem and distribute it to the student body, detailing the evils of For Art’s Sake. But then Luke—the creative force behind the poem and leader of the anti-show movement—becomes a contestant on the nefarious show. It’s up to Ethan, his two remaining best friends, and a heroic gerbil named Baconnaise to save their school. Along the way, they’ll discover a web of secrets and corruption involving the principal, vice principal, and even their favorite teacher.

I bet now you want your very own copy of The Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy. Well, you’re in luck, here’s where you can get it:

Indiebound | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

And as if that’s not enough, check out what KIRKUS REVIEW had to say about it:

Blending Ezra Pound, rhetoric and reality TV, this hilarious, subversive debut about a cadre of friends at an arts high school is a treat from cover to cover.

In seventh grade, popular, good-looking Luke rescued Ethan, Jackson and Elizabeth from misfit nerd-dom. Four years later, Luke still leads while Narrator Ethan is cheerfully resigned to a spot in the “Untalented caste” at Selwyn Academy. Disturbing the status quo, the school’s chosen to host a new reality TV show, a student talent competition with a $100,000 scholarship prize and a familiar format: interviews, clichéd romances and rivalries, and two smarmy hosts. The obsequious vice principal and most students are thrilled, but For Art’s Sake feels like an insult to Ethan and friends. Luke, the most offended, leads a counterattack, writing guerilla poetry inspired by Pound’s Cantos that ridicules the enterprise, which the conspirators secretly print at school. However, the masterminds behind reality TV are several steps ahead of them—money and fame are powerful currency, and they know how to use them. Maura, the beautiful, talented ballerina Ethan fancies, has been accepted at Juilliard, but without the scholarship, she can’t attend—participating is a no-brainer. Ethan struggles with ethical conundrums (Does Pound’s anti-Semitism invalidate his work? Are compromises the price of an arts career?) as he works out his own place in this world and among his friends, especially Elizabeth.

A sparkling, timely tour of the complicated intersection where life meets art. (Fiction. 12 & up)

Or, to translate for Andy Samberg fans:

So, just who is the woman who wrote this amazing book?  Here’s the nutshell version:

The oldest of eight siblings, Kate grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio. She attended Yale and taught high-school Latin in Virginia before returning to Cincinnati, where she now works at an independent bookstore. The Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy, out in April 2014 from Knopf, is a contemporary YA novel about reality TV, an arts school, Ezra Pound, and a heroic gerbil. In spring 2015, Knopf will publish her second novel, The Land of Ten Thousand Madonnas.

For more about Kate, check out her website where she talks books, obscure grammatical rules, and life on a pogo-stick.

Finally, here are a few words from members of the BookYArd about why we’re so ding-dang excited to get this book in our hands.

“What an awesome, unique concept! Love the idea of getting a truly behind-the-scenes look at some of the people caught up in one of those crazy reality T.V. shows. And a heroic gerbil named Baconnaise? If I hadn’t already been sold on this book’s premise, that line would have clenched the deal.” — Stefanie Gaither, Falls the Shadow

“Who doesn’t want to read about vigilante poetry in action? This is like Victor Hugo and Maya Angelou’s artsy lovechild with a hamster sidekick. This is looking to be a great commentary on friendship, on standing up to one’s own principles at the cost of fame and money and, of course, on poking fun at the unrealness and strange dichotomy of reality shows!” — Rin Chupeco, The Girl from the Well

“Vigilante poets?! How could I not be looking forward to this? I love academy-type settings where students make clever mischief. I might be totally off, but this strikes me as a modernized cross between The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys and Dead Poets Society, with a lot of humor thrown into the mix. I can’t wait!” — AdriAnne Strickland, Wordless

“This book has Ezra Pound poetry, reality television, and a heroic gerbil. ‘Nuff said. If that hasn’t convinced you, did I mention the gerbil is named Baconnaise? Yes, I *will* join you in your dance of delighted glee.” — Skylar Dorset, The Girl from the Well

“I don’t have to read past the title to know I want to eat this book whole. The fact that Kirkus calls it ‘hilarious’ and ‘subversive’ just makes me want to drink it too.” — Mary Crockett, coauthor Dream Boy

The Year of Launches

So, 2014 finally made it here and for many of the BookYArd writers, this is the year we launch our debut novels. It’s an amazing thought, and one that’s been cycling on a loop in my brain since New Years. The contract for my co-authored YA, CREED, was signed a long time ago and like many of us, for the first several months it didn’t feel real. Yeah, we were making edits and chatting with our editor but everything seemed SO FAR AWAY still. Not now. Now it feels like everyone’s release is just around the corner and the time has come to plan. Covers are being revealed, books are going up on Amazon and swag is being ordered. In other words – IT’S GETTING REAL!

For today’s post, I was hoping the BookYArd writers and other authors to be released in 2014 could share their current publication prep. So, what are you doing right now to prepare for your book’s impending launch? If you’re early in 2014, I’m sure we’d all love to know what your plans are for touring – are you going on a real, physical tour to sign or are you going on a blog tour? Have you created some amazing swag that you can share with us as well as the company you used? Did you decide bookmarks were useless, but bookplates were brilliant? If you’re already procured your launch party location, how did you do that?

I can tell you from my standpoint with my co-author, Trisha Leaver – we’re just in the stages of sorting out some preliminary things. CREED doesn’t release until November, so we’ve got a while to work on this planning. But you know how that goes for all of us…when you’re writing, time can occasionally slip away from you. Right now we’re looking into swag options for CREED as well as beginning to speak at local schools and teen advisory boards about the process of writing and life as an author. While we don’t know what the book launch will be like with two of us in the mix just yet, we’re hoping to have three launch parties. One on the East Coast with Trisha’s peeps, one here in Chicago with mine and then ultimately, one together somewhere bookish and fun.

So – tell us, 2014 debut authors. What are you doing to prepare for your book’s launch?

It’s Pet Owners’ Independence Day!

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The Writer’s Lair

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