THE EDGE OF EVERYTHING and THE BRINK OF DARKNESS by Jeff Giles

I first met Jeff Giles during a recent author event, and once I learned the premise of THE EDGE OF EVERYTHING, I had to buy it. The prologue of THE EDGE OF EVERYTHING is one of the best I've read, and the second book in the series, THE BRINK OF DARKNESS just debuted. Have a look:

It’s been a shattering year for seventeen-year-old Zoe, who’s still reeling from her father's shockingly sudden death in a caving accident and her neighbors’ mysterious disappearance from their own home. Then on a terrifying sub-zero, blizzardy night in Montana, she and her brother are brutally attacked in a cabin in the woods—only to be rescued by a mysterious bounty hunter they call X.

X is no ordinary bounty hunter. He is from a hell called the Lowlands, sent to claim the soul of Zoe’s evil attacker and others like him. X is forbidden from revealing himself to anyone other than his prey, but he casts aside the Lowlands’ rules for Zoe. As they learn more about their colliding worlds, they begin to question the past, their fate, and their future.

Things have changed for seventeen-year-old Zoe ever since the otherworldly events that brought her together with the mysterious bounty hunter she calls X. In order to save Zoe and her family, X has done the unthinkable - he's given up his freedom and returned to captivity in the Lowlands.

X is determined to break the lords' hold on him once and for all, but being stripped of his power pushes him toward a darkness he's never experienced and a past he's never known. The secrets that surface could be the key to reuniting X and Zoe... or they could mean the destruction of everything they have been fighting for.



According to your Twitter page, Julia Roberts told you, "I feel no dread when I have to see you." Can you explain?

Thank you for asking-- no one else ever has! I interviewed Julia Roberts a few times when I was a magazine writer. The first time she was very young and almost completely unknown. The second time was right before "Erin Brockovich" came out, when she was probably the most famous actress in the world. Anyway, for the second article, I spent time with her over the course of a few days and she'd been annoyed by another journalist. She was telling me how much she dreaded seeing that guy, and telling me I wasn't so bad. She has a way with compliments!

I'll bet she does--and I'm surprised no one else has asked you about her! I love the beginning of The Edge of Everything. How did you know this was the right beginning for this story?  

Thank you. The first scene started as an image that popped into my head. I pictured a young girl who has to go into the woods, during a blizzard, and sees someone trying to kill a man by drowning him in a hole in a frozen lake. From there, I had to figure who the girl was and what the murder was all about. It had a supernatural tinge in my imagination, so it became the story of a girl who meets a bounty hunter from hell who's sent to capture evil souls.

Fascinating. The sequel to The Edge of Everything, The Brink of Darkness, takes place in the Lowlands. We hear about Second Book Blues a lot--what was the most challenging aspect of expanding Zoe's story, and what was the most rewarding? 

It was a blast to revisit the characters. I just love writing dialogue for them because so many of them are misfits. And of course I loved creating new characters, especially in the underworld sections of the book, because I could invent people from any century I wanted. Yes, second books can incredibly hard but since this was the ending of a duology I knew the ending I was writing toward. The biggest challenge was figuring out if my main character--the bounty hunter from the underworld--could finally escape from hell and, if so, how? I needed the plot to be thrilling, but also plausible. I'm really happy with what I came up with.

I'm glad! What are some of your current projects?

I'll never tell! Okay, I'll say I'm writing a new YA novel about love in the aftermath of a tragedy. It's very different than the "Edge of Everything" books and I'm really swept up in it.

Buy: BookPassage ~ Amazon.com ~ Barnes & Noble ~  IndieBound

Buy: BookPassage ~ Amazon.com ~ Barnes & Noble ~  IndieBound

This post can also be viewed here.

NIGHTBLOOD, the final installment of the Frostblood Saga, by Elly Blake

I've been delighted to feature the books in Elly Blake's Frostblood saga, both here, and here. The final in the series, NIGHTBLOOD, debuted yesterday, and it looks excellent:

Ruby's world has changed more than she ever could have imagined. She's in love with a powerful Frost King. She's the heir to the Fire Throne. And she may be a Nightblood--the spawn of a vengeful deity hellbent on releasing his wraithlike Minax from their prison. Once freed, these beasts will roam the earth, devouring every last person until he or she is nothing but an empty husk. But Ruby is able to control the Minax to a degree, and now she, her beloved Arcus, and her friend Kai must find a way to bring Frostbloods and Firebloods--sworn enemies--together to make a stand against a foe more deadly than any they've faced.

In this heart-pounding finale of Elly Blake's gorgeously written and action-packed Frostblood Saga, the fate of Frostbloods, Firebloods, and all of humanity is at stake.

In our last interview, you said, "Publishing can be tough, but the writing community is a rewarding one and there’s always so much more to learn, which I find fascinating and energizing!" What is one of the most significant lessons you've learned lately in this regard?

 I think my biggest lesson was to reach out for help from critique partners sooner. After surviving an anxiety-soaked sophomore slump writing the second book, I had hopes that my third book would be easier. Ha! I mean, the first draft wasn’t as hard to write, so I had hopes of a smoother ride. But as it turned out, the draft that I thought was fairly solid didn’t really work. I ended up having to rewrite most of it (which is a thing that happens, and I certainly accept—after all, we all want it to be the best book it can be.) But then the rewrite didn’t quite do the job, either. So, a third draft, which incorporated pieces of the first and second drafts, as well as new material, became the clay that we, my editor and I, molded into a book. In retrospect, some of this angsty process could have been avoided if I had reached out to critique partners before sending the draft off to my editor. I have a tendency to put off sending my work to CPs until late in the game because I hate people—even my friends!—to see my unpolished words. But sometimes sending earlier is better. A critique partner can look at an early draft and give you big picture changes. Those big changes are a lot harder to stomach once you’ve buffed and polished all those darlings. In future, I intend to tidy up my first draft and then send it off for other eyes. Perfectionism be damned! :)

Yes! Better that we collaborate, rather than wither in isolation. NIGHTBLOOD is the finale in the Frostblood Saga. What will you miss most about the world and characters you've created in this series?

 I will absolutely miss these characters and their world so much. I’ll miss the action, the elemental magic, the romance and adventure, but most of all I’ll miss the dialogue and interactions between characters. Ruby, Arcus, Kai, and company still live in my heart. I still find myself daydreaming new interactions, new tender moments, new conflicts, new clashes. I’ll miss Ruby’s quips and comebacks and her high emotions, Arcus’s steadfast devotion and grumpy protectiveness, and Kai’s wry, whimsical, and flirtatious comments. It would be nice to return to this landscape and these characters someday. Fingers crossed.

And toes too! You also wrote a short story, "Dimes Into Lightning," for The Hanging Garden. What do you like most about writing short fiction and why?

 Oh, thank you for asking about that! I’m grateful to The Hanging Garden for giving me the opportunity. This was quite a learning experience for me! I had never written anything short before. My first attempt was to revamp the beginning of a YA sci fi that I started years ago and pass it off as a short story. I sent it off to a critique partner and she liked it, but detailed the reasons why it didn’t quite work. It felt like what it was – the beginning of a long tale instead of a complete short story. So, on my second attempt, I had this image in my head of a traveling show in the early 1900s and rolled with that. I found that I really enjoyed the brief format. There was so much freedom in it! No worrying about continuity or what I was setting up. It was a welcome break from editing and rewriting Nightblood, which was a long process (see above answer. Haha.) I’d like to try my hand at more short pieces in the future.

Sounds lovely. What are some of your current projects?

 To be honest, my next project has been slow in coming to me. Writing the Frostblood trilogy, while incredibly rewarding and wonderful, also took a lot out of me creatively. I’ve been waiting as the well slowly fills up again. Since I’ve been reading a ton of historical romance in the last few years, I’m considering trying my hand at a historical YA fantasy, but that is still very much in question as I do research and ask myself whether this is really something I can do. I do have a germ of an idea about a girl with a special power, but it’s not much more than a spark. Hopefully the story forms in my mind and I have something to share soon!

Thank you for allowing me to contribute to your blog, Karen!

And thank you, readers! Wishing you a good book and a quiet spot to read in! xoxo

Buy: BookPassage ~ Amazon.com ~ Barnes & Noble ~  IndieBound

Buy: BookPassage ~ Amazon.com ~ Barnes & Noble ~  IndieBound

Buy: BookPassage ~ Amazon.com ~ Barnes & Noble ~  IndieBound

This post can also be viewed here.

WISHTREE and THE LAST (ENDLING) by Katherine Applegate

I first became a fan of Katherine Applegate when I was a Youth Services Selector and a colleague recommended The One and Only Ivan. For those unfamiliar, it is a poignant story told from the point of view of a gorilla who was in captivity for 27 years. Ivan was also real (as in an actual gorilla), but Katherine Applegate, in his narrative, made him even more so.

I've been a fan of hers ever since. I first met her at the launch for WISHTREE, another story which involves a subtle yet unique perspective. At the event, I told her how I'd been reading The One and Only Ivan with one of my high school students (a reluctant reader). I managed to get it signed for her:

Here's some more information about WISHTREE:

Red is an oak tree who is many rings old. Red is the neighborhood "wishtree"—people write their wishes on pieces of cloth and tie them to Red's branches. Along with her crow friend Bongo and other animals who seek refuge in Red's hollows, this "wishtree" watches over the neighborhood.

You might say Red has seen it all. Until a new family moves in. Not everyone is welcoming, and Red's experiences as a wishtree are more important than ever.




Katherine Applegate also has a new Middle Grade series, the first of which debuted in May:

Byx is the youngest member of her dairne pack. Believed to possess remarkable abilities, her mythical doglike species has been hunted to near extinction in the war-torn kingdom of Nedarra.

After her pack is hunted down and killed, Byx fears she may be the last of her species. The Endling. So Byx sets out to find safe haven, and to see if the legends of other hidden dairnes are true.

Along the way, she meets new allies—both animals and humans alike—who each have their own motivations for joining her quest. And although they begin as strangers, they become their own kind of family—one that will ultimately uncover a secret that may threaten every creature in their world.


When did you know that you wanted to be a writer, and what books influenced you growing up?

I always tell kids I became a writer in 4th grade, when I wrote my first story. It was about a pig named Alice. (Even then, I was writing about animals!) After all, you don’t have to be published to be a writer. You just have to tell a good story.

But I took a LONG time to even think about trying to get published. I was in my late thirties before it began to seem like a possibility. I started out as a ghostwriter for packaged series like SWEET VALLEY TWINS and slowly gained confidence after many, many books.

I was quite a reluctant reader when I was young, a fact that seems to both surprise and encourage students. It wasn’t until I found my “best friend” book — the book that seemed to have been written just for me — that I began to see what all the fuss was about. (That book was CHARLOTTE’S WEB. And it’s still my favorite book.)

Charlotte's Web is one of my favorites too. Your book WISHTREE is a beautiful, nuanced story about a neighborhood tree and how it touches the lives of the people around it. Was there anything that surprised you about Red's story as you wrote it?

Thanks for your kind words. WISHTREE was truly a labor of love. I wrote it during the throes of the election, frustrated by all the vitriol and the “othering” of entire groups of people.

I started WISHTREE assuming that Red would be the main focus of the story, but soon realized that a whole community—raccoons, opossums, owls, skunks, a wily crow, and a kind young man — had to be part of the solution. And of course, that echoes the theme of the tale: that we are stronger when we work together as “welcomers.”

Such a wonderful, necessary theme. Published in 2012, THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN is still finding its way into the hearts and minds of readers. What is it about Ivan and his story that you think resonates most with people?

I think the fact that the novel was inspired by a true story intrigues young readers.  And the character himself is easy for them to relate to: they worry about Ivan’s vulnerability and appreciate his efforts to help a friend.

I love writing for middle grade students because they care about fairness and kindness. They’re becoming aware of the world around them, beginning to define what it means to be a good citizen and loyal friend.

Indeed. What are some of your current projects?

In May I published the first novel in a new middle grade trilogy, ENDLING. It’s about one of the last members of a doglike species and her search for more of her own kind. I’m working on the rewrites for Book #2, and have outlined Book #3.

This spring I also published SOMETIMES YOU FLY, a picture book illustrated by the inimitable Jennifer Black Reinhardt. It’s about trying and failing and learning and growing, which makes it perfect, I think, for graduations and birthdays and milestones.

I’m also at work on a new middle grade single title, but it’s too soon to talk about it!

BookPassage ~ Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Indiebound

BookPassage ~ Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Indiebound

BookPassage ~ Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Indiebound

P.S. I MISS YOU by Jen Petro-Roy

I met Jen Petro-Roy at this year's Bay Area Book Festival, and P.S. I MISS YOU is a beautiful Middle Grade story about the importance of finding your authentic self.

Eleven-year-old Evie is heartbroken when her strict Catholic parents send her pregnant sister away to stay with a distant great-aunt. All Evie wants is for her older sister to come back. But when her parents forbid her to even speak to Cilla, she starts sending letters. Evie writes letters about her family, torn apart and hurting. She writes about her life, empty without Cilla. And she writes about the new girl in school, June, who becomes her friend, and then maybe more than a friend.

As she becomes better friends with June, Evie begins to question her sexual orientation. She can only imagine what might happen if her parents found out who she really is. She could really use some advice from Cilla. But Cilla isn't writing back.


According to the "About" page on your website, you've worked as a children's librarian and as a teacher. In what ways, if any, did these careers contribute to your life as an author?

The one thing I have found throughout my careers is that I can't escape from books! I definitely believe that all of the work I've done is connected to and builds upon the others. I loved working as a children's and teen librarian--getting to order and recommend books, plan programs, and interact with patrons was so wonderful. It was also great because I could spend time with the age group I was writing about to get a sense of how my readers really act "in the wild."

What great experience! I love how P.S. I MISS YOU confronts the damage a strict upbringing can do to someone's sense of identity. What do you hope readers gain from Evie's story?

One of the things I try to get across in all of my books is that it is okay to be who you are. When those around you, whether parents or friends or family members or even "society", determine that you should act in a certain way or be someone other than you truly are, it can truly affect your life and self-esteem. In P.S. I Miss You, Evie's parents aren't evil, but they do cling tightly to beliefs and standards that ultimately prove harmful to both them and their daughters. Through Evie's journey, she realizes that she doesn't have to act and believe the way others do to be happy, and I so hope that my readers know that the same goes for them. The world may be a certain way, but you can be who you are.

Definitely a way to show readers that they can be authentic, not only within themselves, but in their everyday lives. In your upcoming books, GOOD ENOUGH, and YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH, you explore issues related to body image and self-esteem. What do you think is most important for young people to know about these issues?

Body image concerns and eating disorders aren't just for girls. Even though Good Enough does feature a female protagonist, it's so important for readers to know that disordered eating can affect anyone--regardless of gender, age, sexuality, skin color, or socioeconomic background. It's hard to feel okay with who you are and what you look like in this appearance and accomplishment-based society, but recovery is possible. You can get through your struggles and learn to accept--even love--your body. You are worth it and you are wonderful.

So true--and helpful to remember. What are some of your current projects?

Advanced copies of Good Enough and You are Enough are starting to make their way out into the world (both will be released on February 19, 2019), and I'm hard at work on my next middle grade, which involves friend drama, swimming, and a girl struggling with an anxiety disorder.

Buy: BookPassage ~ Amazon.com ~ Barnes & Noble ~ IndieBound

This post can also be viewed here. 

Release Feature: HERETICS ANONYMOUS by Katie Henry

I recently featured Katie Henry's HERETICS ANONYMOUS, and I'm happy to announce that it released into the world today:

Michael is an atheist. So as he walks through the doors at St. Clare’s—a strict Catholic school—sporting a plaid tie, things can’t get much worse. His dad has just made the family move again, and Michael needs a friend. When a girl challenges their teacher in class, Michael thinks he might have found one, and a fellow nonbeliever at that. Only this girl, Lucy, is not just Catholic . . . she wants to be a priest.

But Lucy introduces Michael to other St. Clare’s outcasts, and he officially joins Heretics Anonymous, where he can be an atheist, Lucy can be an outspoken feminist, Avi can be Jewish and gay, Max can wear whatever he wants, and Eden can practice paganism. After an incident in theology class, Michael encourages the Heretics to go from secret society to rebels intent on exposing the school’s hypocrisies. When Michael takes one mission too far—putting the other Heretics at risk—he must decide whether to fight for his own freedom, or rely on faith, whatever that means, in God, his friends, or himself.

Buy: BookPassage ~ Amazon.com ~ Barnes & Noble ~ IndieBound

This post can also be viewed here.

THE TRAITOR'S GAME and RESISTANCE by Jennifer A. Nielsen

I've been lucky to feature Jennifer A. Nielsen here, and here. While I love her Middle Grade books, her new YA series, starting with THE TRAITOR'S GAME, gives readers a equally thrilling setting with two intriguing protagonists. She also has another historical fiction book coming out at the end of August, called RESISTANCE.

Nothing is as it seems in the kingdom of Antora. Kestra Dallisor has spent three years in exile in the Lava Fields, but that won't stop her from being drawn back into her father's palace politics. He's the right hand man of the cruel king, Lord Endrick, which makes Kestra a valuable bargaining chip. A group of rebels knows this all too well - and they snatch Kestra from her carriage as she reluctantly travels home.The kidnappers want her to retrieve the lost Olden Blade, the only object that can destroy the immortal king, but Kestra is not the obedient captive they expected. Simon, one of her kidnappers, will have his hands full as Kestra tries to foil their plot, by force, cunning, or any means necessary. As motives shift and secrets emerge, both will have to decide what - and who - it is they're fighting for.

Chaya Lindner is a teenager living in Nazi-occupied Poland. Simply being Jewish places her in danger of being killed or sent to the camps. After her little sister is taken away, her younger brother disappears, and her parents all but give up hope, Chaya is determined to make a difference. Using forged papers and her fair features, Chaya becomes a courier and travels between the Jewish ghettos of Poland, smuggling food, papers, and even people.

Soon Chaya joins a resistance cell that runs raids on the Nazis' supplies. But after a mission goes terribly wrong, Chaya's network shatters. She is alone and unsure of where to go, until Esther, a member of her cell, finds her and delivers a message that chills Chaya to her core, and sends her on a journey toward an even larger uprising in the works -- in the Warsaw Ghetto.

Though the Jewish resistance never had much of a chance against the Nazis, they were determined to save as many lives as possible, and to live -- or die -- with honor.


In our last interview, you said, "We all have families, and while some might struggle more than others, we tend to want the best for everyone in our family circle." In what ways have family struggles made it into the stories you write, and what, if anything, do you hope readers glean from them?

Family seems to play a role in everything I write because I think it’s such a universal connector. In THE TRAITOR’S GAME, the central character, Kestra Dallisor, has one of the hardest family situations I’ve created, one in which some family members might not want the best for her. In my forthcoming RESISTANCE, a holocaust-era historical, Chaya Lindner has what I consider to be the most tragic of family circumstances, Even so, these two young women are both deeply affected and motivated by their desires for love within the family bonds.

Completely understandable. THE TRAITOR'S GAME is one of your first forays into young adult books--at least on the published side of things. How did you know this story was YA instead of middle grade, and was there anything that surprised you as you wrote it?

I knew that THE TRAITOR’S GAME would have to be young adult because the relationship between Kestra and Simon (one of the rebels in her land) was going to be so intense - and it only continues to intensify as the series progresses. Certainly there is a romantic element to that intensity, but there is also their individual roles and goals within the story which are not always compatible.

There are always surprises with each book I write - my characters will always have secrets that I discover along the way, but I didn’t realize how stubborn Simon is as a character - it makes him very challenging to write because he gets an idea and fiercely holds on to it, regardless of outside opinions. Sometimes that’s a good thing because it keeps him focused, but sometimes it creates enormous problems for him too. I also discovered a few surprises along the way about Kestra. She has an inner strength I deeply admire, one which propels her to do something beyond her reach simply because she trusts herself to figure it out along the way.

What she does in the first chapter certainly proves that! Speaking of which, you write some of the best beginnings I've ever read. What, in your opinion, are the necessary parts of an effective story beginning?

Thank you! I generally begin my stories mid-action, and usually with the character in a bind. This creates immediate tension and shows the character in motion. So when we first meet Kestra in THE TRAITOR’S GAME, she is quietly returning home after two years in exile. No one should know where she is and yet the road is blocked by members of the rebellion. Beginning with the first chapter, the reader understands that someone must have betrayed Kestra, they get to see how Kestra responds to the danger, and they are thrust very quickly into the main conflict of the story.

Which I love. If you could tell your younger writer self one thing, what would it be and why?

I was always a writer, but it took me a long time to understand that becoming an author was an option for me. I had such high respect for those who created the books I loved that it never occurred to me they might be real people living real lives who simply made the choice to pursue this career. I would tell my younger self to write for more than a hobby, to take every class available, and to read my favorite novels like they were textbooks on how to write. I would tell my younger self that amazing things are ahead, if only I will just believe it’s possible, and then sit down and write.

Buy: BookPassage ~ Amazon.com ~ Barnes & Noble ~ IndieBound

Buy: BookPassage ~ Amazon.com ~ Barnes & Noble ~ IndieBound


    Buy: BookPassage ~ Amazon.com ~ Barnes & Noble ~ IndieBound

    Buy: BookPassage ~ Amazon.com ~ Barnes & Noble ~ IndieBound

    Buy: BookPassage ~ Amazon.com ~ Barnes & Noble ~ IndieBound

    Buy: BookPassage ~ Amazon.com ~ Barnes & Noble ~ IndieBound

    Buy: BookPassage ~ Amazon.com ~ Barnes & Noble ~ IndieBound

This post can also be viewed here.