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We're living in a golden age of great fiction ... so many beautiful works being published every month, and it's become a real paradise for readers, whatever they like to read.

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The cover has been unveiled for Cindy Pon’s forthcoming book, Serpentine. We’ve embedded the full image above—what do you think?

According to the publisher’s Tumblr page, the story was “inspired by the rich history of Chinese mythology.” The publication date has been set for September 8th.

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The We Need Diverse Books team have launched a crowdfunding venture on Indiegogo.

This group hope to raise $100,000.00 that will be used towards several different projects. Future plans include bringing diverse books and authors into disadvantaged schools, initiating the Walter Dean Myers Award & Grant program, and launching the inaugural Kidlit Diversity Festival in Washington, D.C.

We’ve embedded a video about the campaign above; it features appearances from Matt de la Peña, John Green, Marie Lu, Cindy Pon, Grace Lin, Lamar Giles, Tim Federle, Jacqueline Woodson, and Arthur Levine. Follow this link to read a transcript. What do you think?

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

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Now that it’s been circulating around for a while, I thought I’d show off the gorgeous Diverse Energies cover right here, in case you missed it in the hundred other places people are talking about it. In other news, I haven’t had much time for blogging lately, but I am working hard on Awakening by Karen Sandler (Tankborn 2) and New Worlds by Shana Mlawski (spring books) as well as books for next fall that include Joseph Bruchac’s next book. Here’s the description we sent to Publisher’s Marketplace:

Stacy Whitman at Lee & Low Books has bought world rights for Wolf Mark author Joseph Bruchac’s newest YA Killer of Enemies, a post-apocalyptic science fiction novel with a steampunk twist, for publication in fall 2013 under the Tu Books imprint. Described as “space cowboys in the new Old West,” it retells the story of Lozen, the monster slayer of Apache legend, in a world where space dust has rendered digital technology obsolete.  Barbara S. Kouts of the Barbara S. Kouts Agency did the deal.

Awesome, right? I’m SO EXCITED for it, you guys. And, without further ado, check out this gorgeousness from designer Ben Mautner. And the lineup? If you haven’t seen it yet, check it out after the cover.

 

No one can doubt that the wave of the future is not the conquest of the world by a single dogmatic creed but the liberation of the diverse energies of free nations and free men. No one can doubt that cooperation in the pursuit of knowledge must lead to freedom of the mind and freedom of the soul.

—President John F. Kennedy, from a speech at University of California, March 23, 1962

In a world gone wrong, heroes and villains are not always easy to distinguish and every individual has the ability to contribute something powerful.

In this stunning collection of original and rediscovered stories of tragedy and hope, the stars are a diverse group of students, street kids, good girls, kidnappers, and child laborers pitted against their environments, their governments, differing cultures, and sometimes one another as they seek answers in their dystopian worlds. Take a journey through time from a nuclear nightmare of the past to society’s far future beyond Earth with these eleven stories by masters of speculative fiction. Includes stories by Paolo Bacigalupi, K. Tempest Bradford, Rahul Kanakia, Rajan Khanna, Ursula K. Le Guin, Ken Liu, Malinda Lo, Ellen Oh, Cindy Pon, Greg Van Eekhout, and Daniel H. Wilson. Edited by Tobias Buckell and Joe Monti.

 

Originally published at Stacy Whitman's Grimoire. You can comment here or there.

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…is about to crack wide open thanks to some REALLY good news I’ve read from a recent press release – sent to me from my friend and author, Cindy Pon.

Tu Books publishing Tobias S. Buckell and Joe Monti’s anthology Diverse Energies

By Press Release March 29, 2012 A press release from Hannah Ehrlich of Lee & Low Books:

Tu Books, a new imprint of Lee & Low Books that publishes diverse science fiction and fantasy for young readers, has announced the upcoming publication of Diverse Energies, a YA anthology of dystopian stories edited by author Tobias S. Buckell and literary agent Joe Monti. The anthology, which will be released in Fall 2012, will feature stories by several award-winning speculative fiction writers including Ursula K. Le Guin, Paolo Bacigalupi, Malinda Lo, Cindy Pon, and Greg van Eekhout.

The stories in Diverse Energies journey through many alternate histories and projections of the future, but all have one important element in common: the inclusion of people of color. At a time when some fans have criticized The Hunger Games for casting African American actors to play Rue, Thresh, and Cinna, it is more important than ever that science fiction and fantasy worlds include a truly diverse cast of characters.

“So often the future looks whitewashed in YA dystopias,” says Tu Books Editorial Director Stacy Whitman. “In general many authors, including Tobias, feel that there is a gap in which people of color looking for depictions of themselves in the future can’t find them, especially young readers. These outstanding stories show that even in a dystopian future, people of color have a place.”

Stories include Paolo Bacigalupi’s “A Pocketful of Dharma,” about a young boy in a futuristic China whose encounter with a Tibetan conspiracy changes his life. Malinda Lo’s “Good Girl” is about a girl searching for her brother in what they think is the last city on earth, a doomed, tightly controlled New York City. “It’s about manipulation and loss and the hope of possibilities,” says Whitman. Meanwhile, Ellen Oh’s “The Last Day” takes a second look at history and considers what might have happened had Nagasaki and Hiroshima not ended the Pacific Theater of World War II.

The title Diverse Energies comes from a quotation from John F. Kennedy that both Buckell and Monti felt encapsulated their desire for greater diversity in fantasy and YA: “No one can doubt that the wave of the future is not the conquest of the world by a single dogmatic creed but the liberation of the diverse energies of free nations and free men.”

“I hope Diverse Energies sends the message that multiculturalism is the future, and a strength,” says Buckell.

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So obviously I haven't been blogging or reviewing.  However, I have been reading!  And like Martha Stewart says, "It's a good thing!".  I've just finished reading all of The Jessica Darling series.  Loved, loved, loved, loved them! I've also read The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, and I did not like that one at all.  It just didn't connect with me.  It was an advance copy so there were some clunky passages.  Hey, it happens.  I'm not going to like every book I read.

I'm currently reading Chime by Franny Billingsley.  It's an interesting book, the language and tone are gorgeous, but I'm only 1/4 of the way thru and it better pick up soon!  I have also joined the gym!!!! I'm very happy with that and I've been pacing myself (I'm only in my second week) and I have good and bad days.  I find that if I get on the treadmill and plug in my earbuds and have either my nook or a book with me, I can go to town for at least 45 minutes.  I really need to lose the belly that I've had since the Lilygirl was born (almost 8 years ago!).

Hubby has been traveling like mad to Phoenix.  He's generally gone for about two weeks at a time so life can get a bit hectic with him not around.  Especially now that the school year is winding down, I'm going to be alone quite a bit with the Lilygirl.  But thankfully she is such a great reader!  We'll do some reading programs together through our local library.

I will be having a couple of giveaways soon.  I just need to get my head on straight.  I have to go to post office and I haven't and I keep kicking myself in the head for that (well not literally I'm not that flexible yet!)

I had a great time at BEA and met so many great people and had dinner with the cream of the crop too! I got to have dinner with Cindy Pon! Gretchen McNeil! Shana Silver! It was incredible.  I also went to a SoHo Press party that was hosted by Daniel Ehrenhaft.  It was an editors, agents and authors dream.  I finally got to meet the lovely, if slightly, neurotic Bennett Madison!  I love him.  And he better be writing! ;p  Of course Barry Lyga was there and I just love him too.  He was with an editor from Scholastic and she was so sweet and funny.

I got to spend time with Janet Gurtler.  I had dinner with her before the SoHo Press Party and it was so nice to just sit back and relax and talk about everything and nothing at the same time.  I took her to this quaint little Irish Pub that I love in Times Square.  She came up to my room at the Marriott Marquis and we waiting for Shana and Matt Blackstone.  (Matt has a book coming out very soon and I encourage everyone to look out for it.  It's called A Scary Scene in a Scary Movie.  Which I think is just about the coolest title in the world.  I completely enjoyed meeting Matt and I wish him all the luck in the world with his debut novel.  I have a feeling it will be a huge success!  Just look at that cover!


I do have some reviews I have to write.  I just haven't been feeling it lately.  I mean I enjoy reading

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So obviously I haven't been blogging or reviewing.  However, I have been reading!  And like Martha Stewart says, "It's a good thing!".  I've just finished reading all of The Jessica Darling series.  Loved, loved, loved, loved them! I've also read The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, and I did not like that one at all.  It just didn't connect with me.  It was an advance copy so there were some clunky passages.  Hey, it happens.  I'm not going to like every book I read.

I'm currently reading Chime by Franny Billingsley.  It's an interesting book, the language and tone are gorgeous, but I'm only 1/4 of the way thru and it better pick up soon!  I have also joined the gym!!!! I'm very happy with that and I've been pacing myself (I'm only in my second week) and I have good and bad days.  I find that if I get on the treadmill and plug in my earbuds and have either my nook or a book with me, I can go to town for at least 45 minutes.  I really need to lose the belly that I've had since the Lilygirl was born (almost 8 years ago!).

Hubby has been traveling like mad to Phoenix.  He's generally gone for about two weeks at a time so life can get a bit hectic with him not around.  Especially now that the school year is winding down, I'm going to be alone quite a bit with the Lilygirl.  But thankfully she is such a great reader!  We'll do some reading programs together through our local library.

I will be having a couple of giveaways soon.  I just need to get my head on straight.  I have to go to post office and I haven't and I keep kicking myself in the head for that (well not literally I'm not that flexible yet!)

I had a great time at BEA and met so many great people and had dinner with the cream of the crop too! I got to have dinner with Cindy Pon! Gretchen McNeil! Shana Silver! It was incredible.  I also went to a SoHo Press party that was hosted by Daniel Ehrenhaft.  It was an editors, agents and authors dream.  I finally got to meet the lovely, if slightly, neurotic Bennett Madison!  I love him.  And he better be writing! ;p  Of course Barry Lyga was there and I just love him too.  He was with an editor from Scholastic and she was so sweet and funny.

I got to spend time with Janet Gurtler.  I had dinner with her before the SoHo Press Party and it was so nice to just sit back and relax and talk about everything and nothing at the same time.  I took her to this quaint little Irish Pub that I love in Times Square.  She came up to my room at the Marriott Marquis and we waiting for Shana and Matt Blackstone.  (Matt has a book coming out very soon and I encourage everyone to look out for it.  It's called A Scary Scene in a Scary Movie.  Which I think is just about the coolest title in the world.  I completely enjoyed meeting Matt and I wish him all the luck in the world with his debut novel.  I have a feeling it will be a huge success!  Just look at that cover!
<

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So let’s get a grasp on what exactly it is I’m talking about here.  Day of Dialog.  A day when School Library Journal and roughly 1.5 billion children’s book publishers (read: 16, give or take) get together and attendees (who are mostly children’s librarians and children’s booksellers) get to witness a variety of interesting panels and previews of upcoming children’s books for the Fall season.  It tends to be held on the Monday before BookExpo so that it doesn’t conflict with anything going on at that time.  And since my library was closed that day for it’s big time Centennial celebration, I thought to myself, “Why not go?  I could report on what went on and have some fun along the way.”

Of course I had forgotten that I would be typing all that occurred on Dead-Eye the Wonder Laptop: Capable of carrying at least two hours of charge in its battery . . . and then dying altogether.  So it was that I spent much of the day seeking out outlets and either parking myself next to them or watching my charging laptop warily across a crowded room.  Hi-ho the glamorous life.

I was hardly the only person reporting on the day.  Swift like the bunnies are the SLJ posts on the matter including the article BEA 2011: Paterson, Handler, Gidwitz a Huge Hit at SLJ’s Day of Dialog.

Day of Dialog is useful in other ways as well.  It means getting galleys you might otherwise not have access to.  It means sitting in a nice auditorium with a belly full of muffin.  Interestingly the only problem with sitting in the audience when you are pretty much nine months pregnant (aside from the whole theoretical “lap” part of “laptop computer”) is that you start eyeing the panelists’ water bottles with great envy.  I brought my own, quickly went through it, and then found myself wondering at strategic points of the day and with great seriousness “If I snuck onto the stage between speakers, do you think anyone would notice if I downed the remains of Meghan McCarthy’s bottled water?”  I wish I could say I was joking about this.

Brian Kenney, me boss o’ me blog and editor of SLJ, started us off with a greeting.  He noted that he had placed himself in charge of keeping everything on track and on schedule.  This seemed like a hazardous job because much of the day was dedicated to previews of upcoming books, and there is no good way to gently usher a sponsor off of a stage.  Nonetheless, Brian came equipped with a small bell.  Throughout the day that little bell managed to have a near Pavlovian influence on the panelists.  Only, rather than make them drool, it caused them to get this look of abject fear that only comes when you face the terror of the unknown.  For some of them, anyway.  Others didn’t give a flying hoot.

“It wasn’t wallpapering.”
Keynote Speaker Katherine Paterson

Luann Toth came after Brian to introduce our keynote speaker though, as she pointed out, “Does anyone really need to introduce Katherine Paterson?”  Point taken.  Now upon entering the auditorium this day, each attendee had been handed a signed copy of a new novel by Ms. Paterson and her h

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This Monday, May 23rd, we’ll be at the 2011 Day of Dialog.  Will you?

Hosted by School Library Journal, it’s a fantastic day-long event filled with panels, author signings, lots of swag, and networking.  And it wouldn’t be a BEA event if it didn’t end with a cocktail event, of course!

Patty and I will be there along with Donald Crews, editor Virginia Duncan, Thanhha Lai, Cindy Pon, and Rita Williams-Garcia.  For a full list of events, check out the schedule.

We hope to see you there!

~ Laura

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Fury of the Phoenix by Cindy Pon 2011 (ARC) Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins

Incredible Quote "I would fast for you, Li Chen Yong." Ai Ling pg. 310

*No spoilers for Silver Phoenix (well 1 tiny spoiler about relationships and a big one about a death) or Fury of the Phoenix are in this review*

Oh my goodness if you've read Silver Phoenix (and if not WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR, GO!) then you understand the significance and awww factor that line has. And I rarely aw, especially not out loud, but that line made my heart melt a bit. But things aren't purely sweet for Ai Ling and Chen Yong. Chen Yong has decided to go search for his birth father, to do so he will need to set sail from Xia, heading for Jiang Dao. Ai Ling has a dream that Chen Yong will be in danger on the voyage so she decides to follow him by sneaking on board. Hopefully she won't be discovered until after the ship sets sail and hopefully she will be able to save Chen Yong. But it's Ai Ling who may end up needing to be saved as well.... There's less action in this book but still plenty of excitement leaping off the pages! Everything is described in meticulous detail from the food, clothes, Jiang Dao, the ship, and of course, the mythical creatures that terrorize Ai Ling and Chen Yong.

While I was both delighted and disturbed by the new creatures and fantasy elements we were introduced to (the Sea Shifters, learning more about reincarnation, etc) I was even more pleased by the character development. You all remember Zhong Ye, the villain from Silver Phoenix right? He was evil, eviillllll! Well not quite. I didn't think Cindy Pon could make me care about him, but to my complete astonishment (and I'm not exaggerating) Zhong Ye's story tugged at my heartstrings. While he starts off ambitious, he wasn't always power mad and there's a lot of talk about the sacrifices made by an eunuch. In a way the process of being an eunuch is like genital mutilation and rarely does anyone voluntarily go through that. So to think that Zhong Ye willing gave up such a delicate body part. *winces* I still don't like him but I understand how he was driven to do what he did in the previous book.

And for those who like some romance with their fantasy, be prepared because there is a A LOT of sexual tension and it's intense, smoldering. I was equally annoyed, happy, or heartbroken because of Ai Ling and Chen Yong not being able to pull themselves together. Everyone else can see that they need each other, they complement each other perfectly. Why can't they??? There's lots of teasing, stolen glances, misunderstanding and awkward moments (awkward for the characters, not the reader ;) There is also the romance between Zhong Ye and Silver Phoenix and it actually borders on sweet, again, the author makes you start to care about Zhong Ye. There are a few new characters introduced in this book and they move the plot along, adding significant intrigue. *SPOILER: highlight to read* Not that I ever seriously though Chen Yong would marry Ah Na, but I did wonder if he would want to stay in Jiang Dao.*End of Spoiler* The afterlife is explored and I don't want to give much away but it's absolutely spellbinding and I wanted to stay in that afterworld for a little longer, to learn more about how it works (the Mirror of Retribution!)

Fury of the Phoenix is a seducing, irresistible tale. I loved this book even more than the first. The worldbuilding is just as wonderful as in the first, but we also get to see further character development and while in the first book I wanted more character interaction I felt thoroughly satisfied in this sequel. At first I was sad to leave the a

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Two young-adult fiction authors, Malinda Lo and Cindy Pon, have partnered on the “Diversity in YA” (DIYA) website. Every month, they feature new books that embrace diversity. In January, they spotlighted nine middle-grade titles and fourteen YA books.

Here’s more from the site: “DIYA is a positive, friendly gathering of readers and writers who want to see diversity in their fiction. We come from all walks of life and backgrounds, and we hope that you do, too.”

An author tour is in the works with kick off set for May 2011. Some of the participating authors include fantasy series novelist Holly Black, children’s writer Matt de la Peña, and graphic novel illustrator & writer Gene Luen Yang. The tour will make stops in five cities: San Francisco, Austin, Boston, New York City, and San Diego.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

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I first made acquaintance with Stuart Neville through the blogosphere community that frequents Jason Evans's Clarity of Night flash fiction contests, before he even landed his agent.  I've enjoyed being one of the groupies, cheering as Stuart humbly recounted tales about landing Nat Sobel as an agent, finalizing the publishing deals, getting celebrity (and non) feedback for his debut novel The Twelve, and caving to peer pressure to join Facebook.   


(Okay, okay, and I admit: I totally have a crush on him.  Fear not.  My thinking he's a dreamy Irish hunk had no impact on my journalistic integrity - these 7SS being so serious and all.)

Step #1

LIGHTNING ROUND

• stout or lager? Lager - can't stand stout.
• Bransford or Moonrat? Oh, don't make me choose! Um, Moonrat, but only because I've met her in person and she took me to a karaoke party.
• David Lee Roth or Sammy Hagar? Roth, of course.
• coffee or tea? Tea - can't stand coffee.
• celebrity crush: Just one? Any female news reader - Fiona Bruce from the BBC News, for instance. Amanda Palmer of the Dresden Dolls. Jenna Fischer from The Office. Oh, and Cindy Pon, now that she's all famous.
• a phrase you use often: "Sorry I'm so late," usually followed by a poorly thought-out excuse.
• music you write by: All sorts, but recently it's been Mutter, and album by German industrial metal band Rammstein.

Step #2
TELL US about any of your weird writing habits or idiosyncracies. (ie, What’s one “thing” you need to write, the thing without which the creative juices would cease to flow?)
I need a guitar to hand at all times so I can noodle on it while I think. It's kind of like how people will doodle with a pen and paper.

Step #3
TEACH US one or two of your favorite vocabulary words.
Pishmire, which is a local expression for someone grumpy or miserable. It's come from an old word for piss ant. That's about as clean a word as I can think of for now...

Step #4
BOOK BLANKS

• The last book I finished reading was BLOOD'S A ROVER by James Ellroy.
• I gave it 5 stars.
• One word to describe it is surprising.

(in fact, dear readers, you can find Stuart's review of that book here.)

Step #5
QUESTION: What was the most difficult part of The Twelve’s journey to publication?
Being on tenterhooks for what seemed like forever as it was doing the rounds at the UK publishers. You hear of book deals being struck in minutes, but my auction seemed to go on for weeks.

Step #6
QUESTION: What has surprised you most about the publishing process itself?
How eagle-eyed my editor at Harvill Secker, Briony Everroad, is. Her eye for detail is staggering. And also how generous people in the writing community are, from struggling hopefuls to big-name best selling authors.

Step #7
GIVE US THE SCOOP. Tell us something about yourself that’s exclusive to In Search of Giants (ie, has never been publicized in print or podcast interviews.)
I, a fully grown man, can't ride a bike. And I don't mean a motorcycle, I mean a bicycle with pedals.


Obviously I was hoping that Stuart's "scoop" was that he was naming a character in his next book after me, but, whatever.  Thanks for letting me interview you, Stuart!

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1) What country would I like to live in?
a) the United States

c) Belize
d) New Zealand
e) Ireland

2) Who would I most like to meet?
a) Tamora Pierce
b) Stuart Neville
c) Brendan Fraser
d) Pete Dudley

3) I secretly would like to be ________ for a day?
a) a movie director
b) a professor
d) a librarian
e) multi-lingual

4) What is my favorite store to shop at?
a) Hallmark
b) Target
c) Papyrus
d) Old Navy

5) If I was running out of my burning house, what item would I grab?
a) my signed copy of Robin McKinley's BEAUTY
b) my baby book
c) my cell phone
e) the box in which I keep my children's artwork

6) What do I like most about myself?
a) my sense of humor
c) my faith
d) my hair
e) my parenting style

7) What is my middle name?
a) Rose
b) Michelle
c) Ditzler
e) a & c


8) What would be the perfect present for me?
a) a Barnes and Noble gift card
b) jewelry from Sundance Catalog
c) an ARC of Kristin Cashore's FIRE
e) an iMac

9) Which of the following is not one of my nicknames?
a) Sunny
b) RoseyPosey
c) Charlie
e) Addy


10) What would I dress as for Halloween?
b) Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty
c) Wendy from Peter Pan
d) Belle from Beauty and the Beast
e) Elphaba from Wicked

11) What is the number of schools I attended from Kindergarten thru Sr. Year?
a) 3
b) 4
c) 5
e) 7

12) What is my favorite movie?
a) Willow
b) Batman Begins
d) Sliding Doors
e) Mulan


13) What did I want to be when I was little?
a) a lawyer
b) a microbiologist
c) an actress
e) none of the above

14) Which of these people have I not had a crush on?
a) Enrique Murciano
b) Cindy Pon
c) Brendan Fraser
e) Craig Parker

15) What's my current favorite show on TV?
a) Bones
b) Fringe
d) House
e) Criminal Minds

16) Who is my favorite Disney character?
a) Mickey
c) Mulan
d) Belle
e) Gurgi

17) What am I most scared of?
a) aging
b) snakes
c) spiders
e) small spaces

18) What city was I born in?
a) Champaign, IL
c) Savoy, IL
d) Smyrna, TN
e) Murfreesboro, TN

19) What is my favorite wild animal?
a) chinchilla
c) elephant
d) leopard
e) spider monkey


20) My favorite specialty drink is ________.
a) Pepsi
c) water
d) Starbucks sweet iced tea lemonade
e) Riesling



How'd you do?

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