Here Come the October Books!

As we wind down the Lucky 13s* year of publication, our numbers get lower, but the quality stays high. This month we have one fabulous middle-grade read and one juicy YA read. Ready? Get out your credit cards ...

Sunny Sweet Is So Not Sorry by Jennifer Ann Mann
October 1 (Bloomsbury USA)
MG contemporary

Red by Alison Cherry
October 8 (Delacorte Books for Young Readers)
YA contemporary
















* What's a Lucky 13? An author lucky enough to be publishing his or her very first book for kids or teens in 2013! Each month, I'll introduce a new crop of fabulous debut fiction. Search for the tag 2013 debuts to see more, and read the Lucky 13 blog right here.

September and So On Linklove

I know, blogfrogs: I haven't posted a Linklove post in forever. But I'm starting up again, so for those of you who don't know, this is a monthly collection of great links for writers and readers that I've discovered in the last month or so. This one may have a few from months gone by, since I've been so lax. Again. Sorry. FYI: Though usually I list fabulous new releases in the Linklove post, I've decided to separate them out this time. You can find middle-grade and picture books here, and the young adult releases here.

WRITING & MARKETING ADVICE
Rachelle Gardner on reconciling your marketing and writing lives
30 writing prompts for September, via 30 Day Challenge
Barbara O'Neal collates a handful of tips from a variety of writers
Kristen McLean pens a guest post at Writer Unboxed on the 5 phases of book marketing
Writer Dianne K. Salerni (Caged Graves) gives advice for when you get stuck (Project Mayhem)
Julianna Baggott gets you back to the page, even when you're on the verge of giving up (Writer Unboxed)
Author Marissa Burt (Storybound) recounts how she revised her latest ms
Sherman Alexie posits that grammar cops aren't good writers--eeeek!
Writer Justin Swapp offers story/novel templates for Scrivener users
Veteran author Peter Lerangis outlined advice for MG writers at the summer SCBWI con (via GalleyCat)
Figuring out the Common Core requirements via a new column at PW
Dave King talks about process vs product: Are you obsessing about your outline? (via Writers Unboxed)


AGENTS & QUERIES
Rachelle Gardner on how to pitch your project in person
Literary Rambles shines their spotlight on agent Rachel Stout of Dystel & Goderich
Cynsations' Cynthia Leitich Smith interviews the agents at Pippin Properties 
Agent Hannah Bowman of Liza Dawson Associates, via Literary Rambles

KIDLIT / PUBLISHING NEWS 
JK Rowling to write a screenplay based in the world of HP (via GalleyCat)
Alice Hoffman lands deal to write an MG novel (via GalleyCat)
How Pat Zietlow Miller's Sophie's Squash moved out of the slush pile (PW)
PW gives us a sneak preview of what's coming in Spring 2014
Yeah, finally: Barnes & Noble makes nice with Simon & Schuster (PW)
 James Patterson is giving cash away to indie bookstores (via GalleyCat)
Keith Cronin at Writer Unboxed gives advice about query mistakes

INTERVIEWS
Q&A with MG/YA writer Holly Black (PW)
Nerdy Book Club talks to Newbery winner Christopher Paul Curtis
Natalie Aguirre chats with Caroline Carlson, author of Magic Marks the Spot
Video interview with Newbery medalist Patricia MacLachlan (from Mr. Schu's Watch.Connect. Read.)
Illustrator Kazu Kibuishi talks to PW about creating brand-new Harry Potter covers (podcast)
xoJane chats with YA author Rainbow Rowell (Eleanor & Park, Fangirl)
Suzanne Collins (The Year of the Jungle, The Hunger Games) talks about her experiences as the child of a Vietnam War soldier (via USA Today)

COOL BOOK TRAILERS

Journey by Aaron Becker (picture book; Candlewick)

Sky Jumpers by Peggy Eddleman (MG sci fi; Random House, Sept 24)












MISCELLANY
Author P.J. Hoover gives travel tips for writers (via Cynsations)
Alex Bracken explains what happens in a day in the life of a publicist (via PubCrawl)

top image courtesy of wikimedia commons; available for reuse under this Creative Commons license

Fabulous New YA Books!

I've already beaten myself silly for being a blogging slug all summer, so let's send that poor horse back to his stall for a nice rubdown. Meanwhile, you can take a look at all the cool YA books that have recently come out. Links go to Kirkus Reviews unless otherwise noted (PW = Publishers Weekly).

 Contemporary

The Distance Between Us by Kasie West
OCD Love Story by Corey Ann Haydu
Riptide by Lindsey Scheibe  (The Reader's Den)
The S-Word by Chelsea Pitcher (Rebecca-Books)

How My Summer Went Up in Flames by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski (Tabitha's Book Blog)
45 Pounds (More or Less) by K.A. Barson
Since You Asked by Maureen Goo (School Library Journal)
Gated by Amy Christine Parker
Taste Test by Kelly Fiore


Paranormal & Fantasy

Between the Devil & the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke (Pretty Deadly Reviews)
Some Quiet Place by Kelsey Sutton

Insomnia by J. R. Johansson
Charm & Strange by Stephanie Kuehn (School Library Journal)


Thrillers / Mystery

Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston
Truth or Dare by Jacqueline Green
Another Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn (Xpresso Reads)
Find Me by Romily Bernard (Sept 24)

Prep School Confidential by Kara Taylor

Science Fiction, Dystopia, & Horror

 










Reboot by Amy Tintera
Starglass by Phoebe North (Book Smugglers)
Linked by Imogen Howson

Rush by Eve Silver
In the After by Demitria Lunetta 
The End Games by T. Michael Martin (Reading Teen)
Coda by Emma Trevayne

Historical

Belle Epoque by Elizabeth Ross 
Maid of Secrets by Jennifer McGowan

Did you catch yesterday's post, which featured new middle-grade releases? Check it out here.

Fabulous New Middle Grade Books!

A ton of great middle-grade and picture books have come out the past couple of months, and I've not posted about them because it's been, well, summer and everything. But anyway. Back to it! Click on the title to read reviews, which are pulled from Kirkus Reviews unless otherwise noted. (PW = Publishers Weekly)

Picture Books

Sophie's Squash by Pat Zietlow Miller & Anne Wilsdorf
Chick-o-Saurus Rex by Lenore & Daniel Jennewein (PW)
The Monstore by Tara Lazar & James Burks (Picture Book Academy)
Year of the Jungle by Suzanne Collins (for somewhat older readers)

MIDDLE GRADE BOOKS

Dystopia/Science Fiction

The Neptune Project by Polly Holyoke

Parched  by Melanie Crowder (dystopia) (Wall St Journal)

Sky Jumpers by Peggy Eddleman (dystopia/sci fi, coming Sept 24) (rev by The Moonlight Library)

Wake Up Missing by Kate Messner (sci fi)

Contemporary

Golden Boy by Tara Sullivan

Sure Signs of Crazy by Karen Harrington

Trash Can Days: A Middle School Saga by Teddy Steinkellner (PW)

Mystery, Adventure, & Magic

The Path of Names by Ari Goelman (mystery/ghost story) (rev by KidsReads)

The Wig in the Window by Kristen Kittscher(contemporary mystery)

Magic Marks the Spot by Caroline Carlson (fantasy adventure) (rev by PW)

The Book of Lost Things by Cynthia Voigt (mystery/adventure)

The Glitter Trap by Barbara Brauner & James Iver Mattson (magic/paranormal)

Fallout by Todd Strasser (thriller)

Historical

Every Day After by Laura Golden (1930s)

Brotherhood by A.B. Westrick (Civil War)

Giveaway: 1 Week Only!
I know they ALL look fantastic, but you can win only one! Enter the Rafflecopter below and tell which book you want AND WHY.  U.S. entrants only, please.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Come back tomorrow for a roundup of recently released YA books. There are a ton!