Cover Reveal: VENOM by Fiona Paul

One of my favorite books of 2012 was Fiona Paul’s VENOM. Set in Renaissance Venice, VENOM tells the story of a girl who explores the mysteries of the romantic city and meets a couple of gorgeous Italians along the way. I absolutely loved this book, and I am exited to share the cover of the paperback edition.

 What Fiona thinks of this gorgeous cover:

Dude. I was really excited to find out Venom was getting a new fancy look for her paperback release. I love my gorgeous foiled mask cover of course, but what girl doesn't look forward to a brand new outfit? :)

What I particularly like about this cover is the Venetian-ness of it. The bridge, the buildings, the canal--it almost exactly fits an important scene in the book. I also love the sexy new tagline. And is it just me or does that silhouette of Falco look especially hot?

 

I love this cover! The way the moonlight bounces off the canal water and shadows Cass and Falco is lovely and perfectly sets up the story. The pictorial cues of shading, lighting, linear perspective, and relative size add a three-dimensional perception and the depth of the image is striking. From the empty gondolas to the lonely bridge, everything about this cover tells the reader that she will be met with detailed descriptions about Venice and taken on a sojourn in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

Follow Fiona on Twitter at @fionawritesYA and check out her website! BELLADONNA, the second book in the series, releases July 16th! I read an early copy, and it is fantastic. Cass is amazing, Falco is still swoony, and Luca is even more gorgeous. Make sure to add BELLADONNA to your TBR list!

What do you think? Do you prefer the elegant foiled mask cover for the hardback or this lively and mysterious paperback cover?

The Uninvited Guests by Sadie Jones BLOG TOUR

Publisher: Harper Perennial

Publication date: January 8^th

Source: Publisher – thank you!

Rating: I really liked it

One late spring evening in 1912, in the kitchens at Sterne, preparations begin for an elegant supper party in honor of Emerald Torrington’s twentieth birthday. But only a few miles away, a dreadful accident propels a crowd of mysterious and not altogether savory survivors to seek shelter at the ramshackle manor—and the household is thrown into confusion and mischief. Evening turns to stormy night, and a most unpleasant parlor game threatens to blow respectability to smithereens: Smudge Torrington, the wayward youngest daughter of the house, decides that this is the perfect moment for her Great Undertaking.

The Skinny: A clever book that simmers with excitement

Every so often I read a book that makes me slow down and read passages a couple of times in order to really grasp the author’s intention. In The Uninvited Guests, I was treated with a style of writing that is reminiscent of writers past. It is so witty, multilayered, and complex that a ghost of a smile plastered itself on my face the entire time I was reading.

In The Uninvited Guests, a group of individuals arrives at an estate that is currently in a state of financial collapse. While the family is busy preparing for a birthday celebration, the man of the house is off negotiating for his wife’s property. While the story is entertaining, it is the writing that has made me so excited. Nicknames and anecdotes are liberally used, while hidden meanings can be found upon further inspection. I have not read a book like this since Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. P&P is my favorite novel, so this is the highest praise that I can offer any writer. I am certain that intricate details will be revealed during my next reading of the story. Every new scene offers an opportunity for readers to increase their understanding of the characters and to be astounded by the sheer brilliance in the fluid unpacking of the story.

Sadie Jones is extraordinary, and I was so happy to read The Uninvited Guests. People just do not write in this style anymore. Layering ideas and flitting through characters’ minds were the order of the day, and I am eager to read anything that she writes. She has brought back the type of writing that challenges readers and does not underestimate their capacity for thought. It is this implicit challenge to readers that has landed Sadie Jones on my autobuy list.

 

Monday, January 21st: Conceptual Reception

Tuesday, January 22nd: Drey’s Library

Wednesday, January 23rd: Olduvai Reads

Monday, January 28th: nomadreader

Tuesday, January 29th: Bibliosue

Wednesday, January 30th: Excellent Library

Thursday, January 31st: 5 Minutes for Books

Monday, February 4th: Speaking of Books

Tuesday, February 5th: Giraffe Days

Thursday, February 7th: Oh! Paper Pages

Friday, February 8th: Peppermint PhD

Monday, February 11th: All Grown Up?

Friday, February 15th: Silver’s Reviews

Sadie Jones is the author of the novels The Outcast, winner of the Costa First Novel Award in the United Kingdom and a finalist for the Orange Prize for Fiction and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction; and Small Wars, a tale of love, war, and honor, which was published to critical praise on both sides of the Atlantic. The Uninvited Guests is her third novel. Sadie Jones lives in London.

Dark Days Event Recap: Huntington Beach

Tahereh Mafi, Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Veronica Rossi graced us with their great literary presence in Huntington Beach on Monday night. To celebrate the release of their new books, the four ladies answered questions and signed books from excited fans.

Before the event started, I had the opportunity to interview the authors, and I decided to ask them about their agents, so listen up, aspiring writers!

At many author events, fans ask about the querying process and how they got published. I recently finished my manuscript, and I am about the take the querying plunge, so I asked the ladies what qualities were most important to them when selecting their agents.

Tahereh had an agent before her current one, and she emphasized the importance of selecting an agent who loves your book as much as you do. Her first agent hated SHATTER ME, and she trusted her gut and decided to find someone who would fight with her.

Cynthia made a great point that a writer’s relationship with her agent is similar to a marriage. An agent needs to “really get the manuscript and really get you.” Having someone who can be honest with you and your work is important.

Brodi knew that her agent was the perfect fit when she learned that her agent cried when she finished reading the manuscript.

Veronica provided a really insightful look at the relationship between a writer and an agent and explained that everything starts with the two of them. If someone wants to make writing a career and not just a side gig, then it is important to find someone with whom you have great chemistry.

After that illuminating discussion, I asked Veronica, Brodi, and Cynthia whether they were Team Adam or Team Warner. Cynthia and Veronica fully support Adam and Brodi is backing them both.

Just before I left, I asked the ladies what they have been reading. Veronica recently read WARM BODIES, Tahereh has been reading Book Three, Brodi just finished ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS for the fiftieth time, and Cynthia read ROOM by Emma Donoghue and loved it so much that she sat on the edge of her seat and screamed at the characters.

I have met several authors, and I have to say that Tahereh, Brodi, Cynthia, and Veronica are the sweetest gals. They provide thoughtful answers and make an attempt to connect with their readers. I was really impressed with Veronica’s motivations behind an event that occurs in THROUGH THE EVER NIGHT. She said that Roar needed to go on that journey in order to get him to where he needs to be in INTO THE STILL BLUE. Tahereh’s careful observations struck me, and I am certain that she would write some really great nonfiction. Brodi is a riot and Cynthia’s intelligence is palpable. I would love to sit down with Cynthia and travel in her mind for a bit.

Some interesting bits of information:

Cynthia keeps a recorder hanging on her rearview mirror in case she comes up with a scene while she is driving. She thought of a scene in Boundless and had to pull over the car in order to cry. One mistake that writers often make is erasing their characters’ flaws. She made sure that Clara had flaws and kept them even she they drove her crazy.

Tahereh would love to write a Kenji novella! When writing her villain, she wanted to ensure that he was complex and not too easy to hate.

Tahereh's Shoes

Veronica met her agent at a conference and took his contact information and stuffed it in her bra. To get her villain, Sable, Veronica looked at photos of Kelly Slater, the surfer.

Brodi said that Cole started out as a love interest and not a villain. She grew up reading myths and did not do a lot of research when writing.

I had a lovely time at the event, and I am so grateful to HarperCollins for the opportunity. Alison Lisnow is such a doll and she did a fantastic job moderating the event and looking fabulous. If you are not following her on Twitter, you should do so now! She is witty and charming.