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If you’ve been reading the Beat regularly – and I know you have – you may have noticed that Dynamite is the King of Bundling – that is, the kind of pay-what-you-want services such as Humble Bundle that give consumer vast access to digital comics for a pretty low fee. Dynamite has two notable recent bundles, the  “Bundle […]

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I decided to pursue publishing after a trying my hand at a couple different career paths after college.  Like most 21-year-olds, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do with my life, and I was learning the hard way that the best jobs don’t come easy. At the end of every day I would drive home from whatever job (teacher’s aide, exec asst for generic company, waitressing, movie theater, B&N) to my apartment (basement of some elderly woman’s home) and turned on the radio (I didn’t have cable or internet). I would cook some mac n’ cheese (store brand) and jump on my computer to retweak my resume and personalize cover letters to mail the next day (printed on fancy resume paper—the most expensive thing I likely owned at the time aside from my cell phone).  Then when the pot and plate were cleaned (no dishwasher), I would pull one of the dozens of books I owned from my shelves, plop down on my futon, and read.  My boyfriend (now husband) was in law school (so he was always deep in the bowels of the law library), and though I had friends, I was tight on funds (Taco Bell and hanging in the park, anyone?).  So a lot of the time it was just me and books. And I knew I would find my path soon enough. I was happy.

Fast forward to Dec 16, 2011. I’ve now found my path (already 5 years into publishing) and I’m at a publishing party.  Like all publishing parties, I know some people and I don’t know many others, but I’m always comforted by the fact that we all have one thing in common: a love of books and reading.  So talking to a new person at these kinds of things is easy enough for me—usually I start with something I’ve read recently that I enjoyed.  That’s exactly what I did when I met Adam Silvera that night.

We hit it off, but at the time I didn’t realize that I had just met one of the most kind, supportive, passionate and die hard book people in the business. He just seemed like a nice guy that worked at a bookstore and since I used to work in a bookstore, I was all “we should hang out sometime.”

Adam Silvera is one of those brilliant people that is infectiously enthusiastic about books, particularly children’s and young adult.  He reads everything he can get his hands on, and then he turns and shares those stories with others.  I can’t tell you how many books this guy has put into into the hands of kids, parents and teachers with a recommendation that makes you want to read it right away. The dude is a book pusher, a literacy advocate and he has a keen eye for the really good stories.  He knows what kids and teens will like.  And he has helped to launch the career of many authors I know. (Does anyone remember Leigh Bardugo’s debut pre-order campaign for Shadow and Bone? Well guess who orchestrated it back before she was a bestseller….)

And all while he’s been doing a kickass job getting books into readers’ hands, Adam was working away quietly on his own story.  I am honored to have read this one very early on (and again recently), and it is truly brilliant.  The book is MORE HAPPY THAN NOT and it publishes today.  I won’t put a review up here, because I no longer review online (and I’m pretty sure we don’t post them on pubcrawl anyway). But I do give this book a very, very enthusiastic recommendation. Aaron (the protagonist) lives in the Bronx (where Adam actually grew up). His story is both beautiful and heartbreaking, and his voice is authentic and raw. This is one of my top reads this year.  Hell, it’s one of my top reads, period.

Here’s the official description:

Part Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, part Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, Adam Silvera’s extraordinary debut confronts race, class, and sexuality during one charged near-future summer in the Bronx.

The Leteo Institute’s revolutionary memory-relief procedure seems too good to be true to Aaron Soto — miracle cure-alls don’t tend to pop up in the Bronx projects. But Aaron can’t forget how he’s grown up poor or how his friends aren’t always there for him. Like after his father committed suicide in their one bedroom apartment. Aaron has the support of his patient girlfriend, if not necessarily his distant brother and overworked mother, but it’s not enough.

Then Thomas shows up. He has a sweet movie-watching setup on his roof, and he doesn’t mind Aaron’s obsession with a popular fantasy series. There are nicknames, inside jokes. Most importantly, Thomas doesn’t mind talking about Aaron’s past. But Aaron’s newfound happiness isn’t welcome on his block. Since he’s can’t stay away from Thomas or suddenly stop being gay, Aaron must turn to Leteo to straighten himself out, even if it means forgetting who he is.

You’re probably wondering what “The Reason I Love This Business” is.  And that’s easy.  It’s the people in it.  The ones like Adam who do it for the love of it, and who share that love with others.  That is the reason I am so very happy that I finally found my path in books.

Now go check out his book already! You won’t regret it.

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By

Vanessa Di Gregorio

–

Spring is (sorta) here. Hurrah!

Good riddance, snow! As much as I love curling under a warm blanket to read in the winter months, it just doesn’t compare to the feeling of warm sunshine. But Spring also means rainy days, and nights that are uncomfortably chilly compared to the balmy days – not that I’m complaining! Because, of course, it also means MORE BOOKS.

Now, before I get to the list of April YA & MG books that have caught my eye, I do have to point out that we’ve got a bit of celebrating to do. Because this month, the sequel TAKEN by our very own Erin Bowman is releasing! FROZEN is here! AND IT IS SO PRETTY. ‘Grats, Erin!

And without further ado…

April 1

    
LOVE LETTERS TO THE DEAD Ava Dellaira (YA Contemporary)
DOROTHY MUST DIE by Danielle Paige (YA Fantasy)
SALVAGE by Alexandra Duncan (YA Science Fiction)

    
STOLEN SONGBIRD by Danielle L. Jensen (YA Fantasy)
THE RING AND THE CROWN by Melissa De La Cruz (YA Fantasy)
ROSE AND THE LOST PRINCESS by Holly Webb (MG Fantasy)

  
GOING OVER by Beth Kephart (YA Historical)
SEKRET by Lindsay Smith (YA Historical / Paranormal)

—

April 8

    
THE NETHERGRIM by Matthew Jobin (MG Fantasy)
THE KLAATU TERMINUS by Pete Hautman (MG Fantasy)
PLUS ONE by Elizabeth Fama (YA Dystopian)

    
THE INTERROGATION OF ASHALA WOLF by Ambelin Kwaymullina (YA Dystopian)
TOXIC HEART by Theo Lawrence (YA Dystopian)
DREAMS OF GODS AND MONSTERS by Laini Taylor (YA Fantasy)

    
UPSIDE DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE by Juliet Lamana (MG Contemporary)
REBEL BELLE by Rachel Hawkins (YA Fantasy)
FAR FROM YOU by Tess Sharpe (YA Mystery)

  
THE HERE AND NOW by Ann Brashares (YA Science Fiction)
ALWAYS EMILY by Michaela MacColl (YA Historical / Mystery)

  

SEA OF SHADOWS by Kelley Armstrong (YA Fantasy)
NOGGIN by John Corey Whaley (YA Science Fiction)

—

April 15

     

FROZEN by PC’s own Erin Bowman (YA Dystopian)
HOUSE OF IVY AND SORROW by Natalie Whipple (YA Fantasy)
THE FORBIDDEN LIBRARY by Django Wexler (MG Fantasy)

      
A WORLD WITHOUT PRINCES by Soman Chainani (MG Fantasy)
THE FOREVER SONG by Julie Kagawa (YA Paranormal)
THE GEOGRAPHY OF YOU AND ME by Jennifer E. Smith (YA Contemporary)

   
THE ACCIDENTAL KEYHAND by Jen Swann Downey (MG Fantasy)
HIGH AND DRY by Sarah Skilton (YA Mystery)

—

April 22

    

THE BOUNDLESS by Kenneth Oppel (MG Fantasy)
THE EIGHTH DAY by Dianne K. Salerni (MG Fantasy)
TALKER 25 by Joshua McCune (YA Fantasy)

    
PRISONER OF NIGHT AND FOG by Anne Blankman (YA Historical)
THE INVENTOR’S SECRET by Andrea Cremer (YA Science Fiction / Steampunk)
SHE IS NOT INVISIBLE by March Sedwick (YA Mystery)

   
DECEPTION’S PRINCESS by Esther Friesner (YA Fantasy)
EXPIRATION DAY by William Campbell Powell (YA Science Fiction)

—

April 29

    
THE LUCK UGLIES by Paul Durham (MG Fantasy)
THE TAKING by Kimberly Derting (YA Science Fiction)
IN THE SHADOWS by Kiersten White, Illustrated by Jim Di Bartolo (YA Paranormal)

—

Anyone else notice the two middle-grade books centered around libraries coming out the same day?

As always, if  you know about any April releases that I’ve missed, let me know in the comments! And add them to my Goodreads April 2014 MG & YA Releases list.

— 

Vanessa Di Gregorio works in publishing as a sales rep at Ampersand, a book and gift sales agency. She is also a former literary agency intern. When she isn’t out selling books and talking to bookstores, Vanessa can be found over at Something Geeky, Goodreads, Twitter, or writing for Paper Droids.

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By

Vanessa Di Gregorio

–

I know, I know. These are hardly “upcoming” titles anymore, but still! Cut a girl some slack. February is a short month, and it also happens to be one of the busiest months for me, work-wise. March is almost just as hectic… and so. That leads us to this: A dual February & March releases list! I know, it’s practically April, but it feels really wrong to not point out the shiny new books that have come out!

However, you can probably imagine that compiling the releases for both months in one post would make for a massively behemoth list. So, I’m really only going to highlight the books that I’m SUPER excited about. A more comprehensive list can be seen in my Goodreads lists (which I’ve linked to at the bottom of the post) – so if you want to see more releases, head on over there!

But first! Last month, our very own Erin Bowman released an e-novella for TAKEN! So… BIG CONGRATS, ERIN! And, PC alumni (and one of our founders, to boot!) Sarah J. Maas celebrated a release earlier this month with THE ASSASSIN’S BLADE (a bind-up of all the THRONE OF GLASS e-novellas)! EXCITING!

February 4

    
STOLEN e-novella by PC’s own Erin Bowman (YA Dystopian)
CRESS by Marissa Meyer (YA Science Fiction / Fairy Tale Retelling)
WILDWOOD IMPERIUM by Colin Meloy (MG Fantasy)

  
LANDRY PARK by Bethany Hagen (YA Dystopian)
MISTWALKER by Saundra Mitchell (YA Paranormal)

—

February 11

    
LADY THIEF by A.C. Gaughen (YA Fantasy)
WHITE SPACE by Ilsa J. Bick (YA Fantasy)
THE WORLDS WE MAKE by Megan Crewe (YA Dystopian)

—

February 25

     

THE WELL’S END by Seth Fishman (YA Science Fiction)
BOY ON THE EDGE by Fridrik Erlings (YA Contemporary)
THE SHADOW THRONE by Jennifer A. Nielsen (YA Fantasy)

—

March 4

    

THE ASSASSIN’S BLADE by PC alumni Sarah J. Maas (YA Fantasy)
THE WINNER’S CURSE by Marie Rutkoski (YA Fantasy)
DEATH SWORN by Leah Cypess (YA Fantasy)

    
DANGEROUS by Shannon Hale (YA Science Fiction)
THE HAVEN by Carol Lynch Williams (YA Dystopian)
LET THE STORM BREAK by Shannon Messenger (YA Fantasy)

   
CURED by Bethany Wiggins (YA Dystopian)
HALF BAD by Sally Green (YA Paranormal)

—

March 11

    
PROMISE OF SHADOWS by Justina Ireland (YA Fantasy / Retelling)
THE SHADOW PRINCE by Bree Despain (YA Fantasy)
THE MIRK AND MIDNIGHT HOUR by Jane Nickerson (YA Retelling)

   
MINDSCAPE by M.M. Vaughan (MG Fantasy)
GAME OVER, PETE WATSON by Joe Schreiber (MG Contemporary)

   
STRANGE SWEET SONG by Adi Rule (YA Fantasy)
RUINS by Dan Wells (YA Dystopian)

—

March 18

  
THE RIVERMAN by Aaron Starmer (MG Fantasy)
ELUSION by Claudia Gabel & Cheryl Klam (YA Science Fiction)

  
SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY by Julie Murphy (YA Contemporary)
REMNANTS OF TOMORROW by Kassy Tayler (YA Dystopian)

—

March 25

   
THE STRANGE AND BEAUTIFUL SORROWS OF AVA LAVENDER by Leslye Walton (YA Fantasy)
CAMINAR by Skila Brown (MG Historical)

—

Now, THAT was worth the wait, right?

I definitely missed a bunch of releases for February & March – so if  you know about any, let me know in the comments! And add them to my Goodreads February 2014 MG & YA Releases, or my Goodreads March 2014 MG & YA Releases list.

— 

Vanessa Di Gregorio works in publishing as a sales rep at Ampersand, a book and gift sales agency. She is also a former literary agency intern. When she isn’t out selling books and talking to bookstores, Vanessa can be found over at Something Geeky, Goodreads, Twitter, or writing for Paper Droids.

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Below is a fun animation from artist Ben Heine titled, Who Do you Think You Are?

See more of Ben Heine's videos on his YouTube channel.

To find out how to submit your news to Illustration Pages click here.

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The Illustration Gallery has launched, illustrato.rs, a curated marketplace for illustrators to sell their original artwork and limited edition prints directly to the public.

The site has launched with seventeen great artists, including Sam Weber, Catell Ronca, Jessie Ford, Lucie Sheridon, Martin Grover and Tony Meeuwissen.

Visit illustrato.rs to add to your collection of original artwork.

To find out how to submit your news to Illustration Pages click here.

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Earlier in the year Canadian based illustrator Laura Watson launched her new website. Fun, fresh and quirky – the artist's website features all new work.

Visit Watson Illustration.

To find out how to submit your news to Illustration Pages click here.

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All the way from Toronto Canada - fun, fresh and quirky illustration work - come visit the new website of illustrator Laura Watson.

To find out how to submit your news to Illustration Pages click here.

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Artist and illustrator Johan Bjorkegren has released his sketchbook-drawings from the past year (2010-2011). The limited edition book of sketches consists of a keepsake for the book, hand painted by Johan. The book is signed and numbered.



This limited edition book can only be bought directly from the publisher. You can contact them at [email protected]


Johan works from his studio in Uddevalla, at the west coast of Sweden.

To find out how to submit your news to Illustration Pages click here.

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Illuniverse is the first illustrated universe on the web. The main idea is to create a universe full of planets and stars created by the worlds best illustrators and designers. Submissions are open now. Send in a planet or star in your style. All the details are on the Illuniverse website. The creator of the site, Camilo Bejarano, has plans to create t-shirts, posters and a book.


Camilo Bejarano, also known as Ph7labs. is a multidisciplinary designer and illustrator based out of Florida. He was born in Bogota, Colombia and moved to the US at the age of 16 in 1996.

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Illustrator Juana Martinez-Neal has a series of four interviews planned this month on her blog. The series is well under way with two interviews having been conducted already. Juana promises the interviews will be very informative with topics on technique, the industry, books, likes, dislikes and everything related to being a children's illustrator. For more information about the interviews click here...


To read the interview with children’s book author and illustrator, Molly Idle, click here...


To read the interview with children’s book author and illustrator, Mikela Prevost, click here...

To find out how to submit your news to Illustration Pages click here.

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Illustrator and designer Dave Murray teamed up with the Ryan Christiani at Push Science to create the "Last Minute Holiday Shopping Survival Guide" infographic. For an interactive version of the infographic with interesting roll-overs, click here.

To find out how to submit your news to Illustration Pages click here.

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Illustrator and Graphic Designer Robert Weiss, has contributed three glyphs for Font Aid V: Made For Japan. The goal of the project is to raise funds to expedite relief efforts after the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Nearly 300 contributors from 45 countries sent in over 500 glyphs in a single week. Several months after the project was initiated, Font Aid V: Made For Japan is now available online. Additional information and purchasing details can be found Typographic Aficionado website.

Please support this worthy cause. Domo arigato. どうもありがとう

To find out how to submit your news to Illustration Pages click here.

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"Exit Man", Atelier Alesko has a new limited edition print available on graphicplease.com. The print titled, Gobeleur, is a available as a small run of 25. Who doesn't want a poster of robots destroying cities? Buy yours today...

To find out how to submit your news to Illustration Pages click here.

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Fred Noland updates his illustration site with new work illustrated for articles on topics ranging from Suge Knight and Puffy Combs to body exportation in Latin America.

To find out how to submit your news to Illustration Pages click here.

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It must be so much fun to work at Veer.

To find out how to submit your news to Illustration Pages click here.

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Rare Device is pleased to announce Unraveled and These Friends of Mine, new illustrations and works on wood from San Francisco based artist Nidhi Chanani. This is Chanani's first solo show.

On view from September, 9 to October 31, 2011

Located at: Rare Device - 1845 Market Street between Valencia and Guerrero Streets

Store/gallery hours: Tuesday through Saturday 11am to 7pm and Sunday noon to 6 pm



Unraveled is Chanani's first collection of wood burnings. With a contemporary approach to pyrography, the artist created the pieces by burning each line and symbol into raw wood. Intricate, henna-like patterns are combined with her signature figures. These labor-intensive pieces are expressions of the artist's Indian heritage and combine a modern, storytelling edge.





Nidhi Chanani's artwork has made mulitple appearances on the Illustration Pages website. She was born in Calcutta, India and studied illustration at the Academy of Art in San Francisco. Nidhi currently lives and works in San Francisco. Her work can be found at http://www.

0 Comments on Unraveled a Solo Exhibit by Artist Nidhi Chanani as of 1/1/1900

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Rob Chamorro of Tiny Spaceman media created these cool promo posters for the new iPhone game, Babes vs. Robots. Rob's posters have a great retro sci-fi feel. Don't you think?







To find out how to submit your news to Illustration Pages click here.

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Since most artists, graphic designers and illustrators work on a Mac, we thought we'd post the Apple video below which highlights some of the features of the new OS X Lion. With Lion, Apple has taken the "gestures", such as tapping, scrolling, pinching and swiping, that were once only possible on a tablet, and brings them all to your computer. The features of Lion being "touched" upon in the video below include:

• Multi-Touch Gestures
• Full Screen Apps
• Mission Control
• The Mac App Store
• Launchpad
• Resume
• Auto Save
• Versions
• AirDrop
• Mail
• Lion Server
• and 250+ other new features

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Gallery Nucleus Presents
IT’S A SMALL WORLD
September 17, 2011 – October 3, 2011
Opening Reception: Saturday September 17, 2011 (7 pm – 10 pm)

Alhambra, CA–Gallery Nucleus, Joey Chou and Disney Press are delighted to present “It’s A Small World”, a group exhibition featuring an impressive collection of works created by 45 artists paying homage to this iconic Disney Park attraction, just in time to honor its 45th anniversary.

This exhibit celebrates both the release of artist/illustrator Joey Chou’s latest children’s book by Disney Press, as well as the enduring theme of world peace and international unity that the original Sherman Brothers song and beloved Disney Park boat ride have embraced for almost half a century.

The book features the lyrics of “It’s A Small World (after all)”, accompanied by Chou’s vibrant illustrations that give a modern and playful spin to this 45 year old classic while staying true to its original message. Joey Chou will be present on opening night, along with several of the exhibiting artists, for a meet-and-greet/book signing.

Opening Night Highlights:

• Raffle prizes, including a signed copy of Joey’s book.
• Exhibiting artists in attendance.
• Artist Joey Chou will be signing

For more information visit the Gallery Nucleus website.

PRE-ORDER Joey Chou's new book, “It’s A Small World (after all)” here.

To find out how to submit your news to Illustration Pages click here.

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The iPad has started a global children’s reading revolution - a revolution that uTales is now about to take one step further with the world’s first community-driven store and subscription service for digital picture books for kids. With so many phenomenally talented writers and illustrators going unnoticed (and unpublished), uTales aims to provide them with new opportunities where traditional publishing is often failing. uTales is a place where writers and illustrators can create, promote and sell interactive digital picture books at no cost and without giving up their rights - all while given the opportunity to collaborate with other creatives from around the world, help build schools in developing countries and become part of the unique uTales iPad app.


The staff at uTales are passionate about introducing more children to a great variety of quality picture books, and they do this by combining new technology with a worldwide community of professional writers and illustrators and an editorial panel led by renowned editor Emma D. Dryden.

The Illustration Pages readers have been invited to get early access to uTales and have their story ideas come to life and be enjoyed by families everywhere on their iPads and laptops. To sign up visit www.utales.com/invitation with this invite code: illustpages This code is limited to 100 beta invites so don't delay - head on over to uTales and take the site for a test drive.

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Belgium illustrator and designer, Tim Van den Broeck recently designed and illustrated the new Antwerp Student Guide. The guide is written by students for students, but it's interesting for anyone who's looking to visit Antwerp. It exists in dutch and english and is filled with trendy addresses and useful information that will help you find your way around Antwerp, Belgium. View more illustrations from the student guide on Tim's website...

To find out how to submit your news to Illustration Pages click here.

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Artist David Ryan Robinson has illustrated a fun typeface he simply calls, Alphabet-hands. View the full alphabet on David's website…

To find out how to submit your news to Illustration Pages click here.

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Andy Smith illustrated two new book jackets for the Brady Udall novels, The Lonely Polygamist and The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint published in the UK by Vintage. To see some more book jackets from Andy Smith have a look at his flickr page.

To find out how to submit your news to Illustration Pages click here.

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Call to Artists!

FUZE is accepting artist submissions for the upcoming season. FUZE is seeking artists with socially engaged work, who aim to foster dialogue and reflection and suggest innovative methods for social or political transformation.

Artist’s work will be reviewed for inclusion in salons featuring one to two artists’ work, where participants engage and contribute to artists and their future projects both monetarily and interactively. FUZE tailors events to fit the parameters of the artists’ particular goals, in order to foster engaging and meaningful artwork and turn good ideas into realities.

Submissions should include work samples, as well as anything that would help us to further understand you and your work, including personal statements, weblinks, project statements, or descriptions of intended projects.

Submissions are due July 31 by 11:59 PM EST

Visit FUZE website at www.fuzenyc.org

Contact FUZE at [email protected] with your work.

Reach FUZE with any questions or contributions at [email protected]

About FUZE

FUZE is devoted to supporting artists, thinkers, and activists. We believe art has the power to inspire and challenge us, foster productive dialogue and reflection, and suggest innovative methods for social and political transformation. FUZE serves as a catalyst for socially conscious and creative people in pursuit of informed and innovative dialogue.

At FUZE we wish to discover and develop partnerships with people, projects, and organizations that share our mission. Through exhibitions, film screenings, round-table discussions and artist talks, we connect artists with donors, mentors, and thought-partners, and nurture an atmosphere devoted to knowledge and inspiration. We serve as a platform for artists, giving people the opportunity to learn more about the work of people engaged in meaningful and groundbreaking endeavors. Through our investment in these partnerships, and the connection of collaborators through intimate events attempting to inspire and foster deep and valuable connections, FUZE aims to turn good ideas into reality.

With this in mind, FUZE is a work in progress, always adapting to meet the needs of new projects as we work to create something momentous and exciting.

To find out how to submit your news to Illustration Pages click here.

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