One of the hardest things for debut authors, even for established authors, is finding new ways to reach out and address your audience. Your readers. Whilst we have social media, interviews, podcasts and such all at our fingertips, nothing really beats seeing your book out in the wild with excited readers. Before I was a writer, I was (and still am) part of a worldwide … Continue reading Do You Believe in Book Fairies?
We’re excited to welcome Gita Trelease back to the Winged Pen for the launch of her 2nd book!
This is a jam-packed post with:
a review of Everything That Burns, a link to register for Gita’s virtual launch hosted by Odyssey Bookshop on February 4th, and an interview with Gita about her inspiration for this dark fantasy and tips for aspiring writers. Continue reading Recommended: EVERYTHING THAT BURNS by Gita Trelease
Welcome to another edition of our new semi-regular series: Blast from the Past. A refresher: We will occasionally read (or listen) to a book we had loved as children but have not re-visited as adult writers. And then we’ll tell you about it. How did the story hold up? Is the magic still there? What differences do we notice, both cultural and in storytelling techniques … Continue reading Blast from the Past!
Who wouldn’t want to be Scarlet Leigh? Just look at her Instagram. Scarlet isn’t just styled to perfection: she is perfection. Scarlet has a gorgeous, famous boyfriend named Jack and there’s a whole fanbase about their ship. To everyone watching online, their lives seem perfect . . . but are they really? The sun is hot in California . . . and someone’s going to get burned… Continue reading Recommended: INFLUENCE by Sara Shepard & Lilia Buckingham
An atmospheric retelling of tales from Persian culture. Girl, Serpent, Thorn begins as many retellings do, with a neglected princess hidden away from the world. But the fact that Soraya’s skin is poisonous to the touch gives the story a unique twist. As as the princess begins to see her condition not as a curse but as a source of power, the story really becomes interesting. . . Continue reading Recommended: GIRL, SERPENT, THORN by Melissa Bashardoust
This is the absolutely true account of how Lansburg, Pennsylvania was invaded by aliens and the weeks of chaos that followed. There were sightings of UFOs, close encounters, and even abductions. There were believers, Truth Seekers, and, above all, people who looked to the sky and hoped for more.
Only. . . there were no aliens. Continue reading Recommended: IT CAME FROM THE SKY by Chelsea Sedoti
We hope all our subscribers and readers are well, have enough toilet paper, and in all ways are making it through these strange times as safely and comfortably as possible.
While we don’t want to make light of a virus that’s causing both pain and suffering and economic disruption, we do want everyone to take advantage of one of the thing this period provides a unique opportunity for:
LOTS OF READING!
Check out our list below. Hopefully, you’ll find a book you can cuddle up and stay safe with. Continue reading 10 Great Young Adult Books to Read During Self-Quarantine
Inspired by the real-life “flash mob” violence that struck Chicago in 2011, Every Stolen Breath is a fast-paced and immersive thriller… Continue reading Recommended: EVERY STOLEN BREATH by Kimberly Gabriel
Nira’s voice pulled me right into her story. Her character is fully three-dimensional and it’s easy to empathize with both her struggles be the good daughter her parents and her aspirations to fight her own dreams. Highly recommended. Continue reading Recommended: IN THE KEY OF NIRA GHANI
Serving as a judge for the CYBILS Book Awards provided me with the opportunity to discuss 7 great stories with fellow book nerds. I read the spec fic category, which includes fantasy, sci fi, magical realism, and alternate history – all genres with lots of world building and action! If this is the type of story you enjoy, you should check out these short-listed books. It was hard to pick a winner! Continue reading The CYBILS Award YA Speculative Fiction Short List – A Wrap-up
Enchantée reaches from a humble 6th-floor apartment in the Paris slums to the
glimmering Palace of Versailles. It’s clear from the story that you love both of these settings. What was the most fun aspect of writing about Paris? Versailles?
The thing that drew
me into both the settings was the element of danger. In Paris, there was the danger of starvation, the possibility that Camille (Enchantée’s main character) would be forced to become a
prostitute, and that every dark corner hid physical danger. The danger at Versailles was really different—gambling, the chance that Camille could lose all the money she’d gathered to keep a roof over her and her younger sister’s heads, and the danger of her disguise being seen through by multiple people. That was fun to write.
The contrast between the two settings was really interesting to play with. The darkness of Paris and the glittering brightness of Versailles. Continue reading On Creating Magic Rules & Researching the Streets of Paris in 1789: An Interview with Gita Trelease, Author of Enchantée
Writer’s Digest Annual Conference asked us to be their promotional partner this year. We love writers’ conferences—for inspirations, to improve our craft, and to meet and network with other writers, agents and editors, so we were happy to say yes! To announce this partnership, we invited Writer’s Digest to share a guest post highlighting the success story of Tiffany Jackson, author of the YA thriller … Continue reading Writer’s Digest Annual Conference Success Story: YA Thriller Author, Tiffany D. Jackson
