kt literary

You know they do! (heheheheheh!) Specifically, they called it a “A not-so-fluffy chick-lit offering rife with angst, rock ’n’ roll and lots of kissing.” Full review below!

So many boys, so little time; what’s a rock girl to do?

Music-obsessed Riley and Reid, a writer, are shocked to find out that their fellow band mates, Lucy (Riley’s once–best friend and former confidante) and Nathan, have not only been secretly dating, they’ve also been doing it. Feeling glaringly inexperienced, Riley and Reid decide to keep a handwritten notebook—nicknamed the Passenger Manifest from the TV show Lost—chronicling all of their experiences with love, dating and sex. To Riley’s surprise, she becomes involved with three guys: science-loving Garrick, who once dated a celebrity; Ted Callahan, her longtime, irresistibly floppy-haired crush; and Milo, a fellow band geek and tuba player. Riley and Reid carefully record every detail of their dating foibles, but when the Passenger Manifest turns up missing, what are they to do? Narrated mainly by Riley, the story provides small snippets of Reid’s dating life—and, regrettably, little else about him—in the entries from the Passenger Manifest that appear between prose chapters. Riley’s approach to sex is a long way from Forever…; losing her virginity seems to be more an item on her to-do list than a milestone moment.

A not-so-fluffy chick-lit offering rife with angst, rock ’n’ roll and lots of kissing.

Pre-order it today!

Hot on the heels of yesterday’s release of Tunnel Vision, I’m delighted to share this review from VOYA Magazine, which praises it as “a high-impact, fast-paced spy novel that explores the ever-present governmental conflict of questionable acts justifying the greater good.” The full review is below!

Jake Lukin has a special gift. It is a gift that his father, a military official in the Pentagon, warns him never to share. If knowledge of Jake’s gift falls into the wrong hands, people will hunt him down and do unspeakable things to him and those he loves. After too much to drink at a party one night, Jake slips. As he grasps a personal object, he tunnels into people’s very existences—their location, their feelings, and their experiences in that very moment. Unfortunately, his slip draws the attention of DARPA, a government research organization working on classified missions. After the head of DARPA gives him an offer he cannot refuse (literally), Jake quickly learns that his life no longer belongs to him, and all of his father’s fears have come to fruition.

Tunnel Vision is a high-impact, fast-paced spy novel that explores the ever-present governmental conflict of questionable acts justifying the greater good. Jake’s character proves relatable with its portrayal of a normal eighteen-year-old senior in high school, worrying about such typical teenage things as college, sports, friends, and girls. The in-depth plot focuses on deception and conspiracy, with a hint of romance. The story line may be too complex for reluctant readers; however, more advanced readers will find the intricate plot engaging and intriguing. The author develops comprehensive characters that help build suspense with each scene. The well-written, unpredictable plot, coupled with strong male and female characters, make this novel a must-have for teachers and librarians.—Courtney M. Krieger.

Congratulations to kt literary client Susan Adrian, whose fabulous debut Tunnel Vision is at long last out in the world! What’s it about? Jake Lukin has an incredible power he’s been hiding his whole life…but one (big) mess-up later, and the U.S. government knows all about it. Suddenly he’s juggling high school, tennis tryouts, flirting with Rachel Watkins, and work as a government asset, complete with 24-hour bodyguards. When his family is threatened, Jake has to make a terrible choice.

TUNNEL VISION is a young adult sff thriller with psychic spies, graveyard chases, Call of Duty, Buffy and Veronica Mars references, and a stubborn little sister you’ll wish you had, even if you are an 18-year-old boy.

Need more? Try Kirkus Reviews:

An exciting plot paired with a sympathetic protagonist makes for a roller-coaster adventure that asks some big moral questions: Is it ethical to tunnel into another person’s mind, even to do good? Which is more important, the individual or the country? The action moves at a quick pace that fans of adventure fiction will appreciate while still leaving room for deeper contemplation. Danger, intrigue, a dash of romance, and a good, hard look at ethical dilemmas—a pretty complete package.

I can’t possibly do better than Susan’s post celebrating the release, so I invite you to check that out on the Fearless Fifteeners blog. Here’s a sneak peek:

And if you have a pair of Chucks, take a picture and post it via Twitter, Tumblr or Instagram with the hastag #TunnelVision for a chance to win a copy.

We’re back! Well, we’ve been back for a couple of weeks now, but the wheels have been turning behind the scenes, cooking up some amazing news, and I haven’t had a chance to blog. To make up for it, here’s a roundup of just some of the exciting things going on for my clients and their books!

We got a very nice review from Booklist for Red Butterfly by A.L. Sonnichsen, which states, in part:

Sonnichsen’s sparse narrative in free verse moves Kara’s life along with deliberate sentiment, effort, and loyalty. Sympathetic readers will appreciate that Kara learns to build trust with those who demonstrate their compassion in constructive attempts to right some of the wrongs of her difficult beginnings.

Krista Van Dolzer’s The Sound of Life and Everything is a Junior Library Guild selection! Head over to her blog to congratulate her on the JLG’s great taste.

Finished copies have arrived for Carrie Harris’ Dinocalypse Forever, the final book in the Dinocalypse Trilogy, from Evil Hat. Dinosaurs! Adventurers! Magic! More about the book on Carrie’s blog.

Susan Adrian is doing school visits this week and gearing up for her tour in support of about-to-be-published debut Tunnel Vision! She’s also hosting a contest to take and tweet/Tumblr/Instagram a pic of you and your Converse on the book’s release day, January 20th. Check it out!

She’s also got a Spotify playlist for the books’ soundtrack. Enjoy!

And on Maureen Johnson’s shiny new website, the pre-order campaign for The Shadow Cabinet is going strong. Order books, get cool swag!

Merry Happy Season’s Greetings, everyone! We’ll be closed for the holidays through January 4th. May you all find lots of good stuff to read in the next two weeks!

We made it! 15 days of awesome holidays giveaways, and for the big finish, I’ve got FIFTEEN books to give away. Yes!! Are you ready for this book-a-palooza? Leave a comment below, and you could win one of these fabulous prize packs:

A paperback of ALBATROSS by Josie Bloss
A digital signed copy of MORE THAN MUSIC by Liz Briggs
A digital copy of FORGET ME by Kim Harrington
Paperbacks of XVI and TRUTH by Julia Karr
A package of audio books, including THE NAME OF THE STAR and THE MADNESS UNDERNEATH by Maureen Johnson and ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS and LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR by Stephanie Perkins
Four Spanish paperbacks of SUITE SCARLETT by Maureen Johnson (ideally, for a Spanish teacher!)
A paperback of THE LAST GOOD PLACE OF LILY ODILON by Sara Beitia
And a rare galley of TUNNEL VISION by Susan Adrian, plus bookmark!

Wooooooohooooooo!

Another great two-fer giveaway today! Alexandra Duncan’s debut Salvage was recommended to me by the fabulous Stephanie Perkins, whose blurb called it “kick-ass, brilliant, feminist science fiction.” All that, plus a multi-cultural story that soars from the star-filled galaxy, to the garbage-strewn oceans, to teaming, steamy Mumbai. You can read the first few chapters here, or comment below to win one of two galleys!

Still need convincing that it’s awesome? Check out this review from Publishers Weekly:

Duncan makes an excellent debut with a novel that’s part feminist polemic and part coming-of-age adventure. In a space-faring future, supply ship “crewes” have developed into patriarchal tribes, with strict gender roles and a mythology to justify them: “Women of the air, stay aloft,” the girls of the vessel Parastrata are warned. Ava is considered to be deviant for several reasons: she is of suspect Earthly descent, and she has a knack for both math and mechanical engineering, disciplines that are forbidden to women on her ship. After further transgressing Parastrata’s laws through a romantic encounter, she is cast out into the Void. With a fierce desire to survive and with the help of a female spaceship captain named Perpétue, Ava escapes space for the deadly gravity of Earth, where she eventually discovers emotional, sexual, and intellectual liberation. Duncan’s thoroughly realized setting and subtle control of Ava’s voice result in a powerfully immersive story that uses its far-future SF premise to thoughtfully explore gender politics.

We’re getting near the end of our giveaways, and I still have piles of books for prizes. So today, we’re giving away TWO copies of Bad Hair Day by Carrie Harris! Originally published in 2012, here’s a brief description:

Kate Grable is geeked out to shadow the county medical examiner as part of her school’s premed program. But after he’s arrested for murder, she’s left with the bodies. And when Kate’s brother, Jonah, stumbles upon a dead gamer girl, Kate realizes that the zombie epidemic she cured last fall was only the beginning of the weirdness taking over her town. Someone—or something—is murdering kids. Something really hairy. And strong. Possibly with claws.

Could it be werewolves, like Jonah and his dorktastic friends think? Kate’s supposed to be a butt-kicking, zombie-killing genius . . . but if she can’t figure out what’s behind the freakish attacks, the victims—or what’s left of them—are going to keep piling up.

“Readers will get a kick out of this book that reads like a Wes Craven movie. The plot may be a little far-fetched, but the ride is so much fun it doesn’t much matter . . . what’s not to love?”–Kirkus Reviews

“Kate combines the smarts of Veronica Mars with the attitude of Buffy . . . a fast-paced read.”–School Library Journal

“Entirely enjoyable.”–Publishers Weekly

Leave a comment below — two will win!

Oh man, I just saw the most beautiful cover for Marisa Reichardt‘s upcoming debut Underwater, which I can’t quite share just yet, but trust me, you guys are going to LOVE it! In the meantime, enjoy this “Get to Know” post on the Sweet Sixteens blog. A snippet:

Fun facts:

Favorite book growing up: RAMONA QUIMBY, AGE 8 by Beverly Cleary

Childhood aspiration: Marine biologist

Favorite time of day/place to write: In the morning in a library or coffeehouse

Book currently reading/most recently read: I’LL GIVE YOU THE SUN by Jandy Nelson

Favorite things to do (other than reading): Swimming in the ocean

Favorite sports teams: USC Trojans

Surprising personal fact: Peppermints make her sneeze

Greatest thing about being a 2016 debut author: Meeting other debut authors

Click through to read the whole thing!

For today’s giveway, I’m delighted to offer a signed copy of Aspen by local Colorado author (and Renee’s first client!) Rebekah Crane. From the book’s description:

One quiet night in Boulder, Colorado, Aspen Yellow-Sunrise Taylor made a mistake. In the next instant, her life changed forever. Aspen doesn’t want to remember when Katelyn Ryan, a sleek-haired popular soccer player, crossed the yellow line in her car and smashed into Aspen’s. But forgetting is pretty hard– because Katelyn may have died — but she didn’t leave. Her ghost is following Aspen around, and heading into senior year, it’s kind of a problem. Especially when Katelyn’s gorgeous former boyfriend Ben appears to be the only person at school with a clue as to how Aspen feels. Popularity, college, Homecoming Court, hot guys – none of these things ever mattered to Aspen. She’s been busy trying to rein in her giant mass of blonde curls, keep her stoner mother Ninny away from Toaster, her mom’s awful bongo drumming boyfriend, and prevent her best friends Kim and Cass from killing – or kissing – one another. But with Ben sitting next to her in Physics looking all too gorgeous, Katelyn’s spirit dogging her steps, and her obsessive snow-globe collecting therapist begging her to remember all the things she wants to forget, Aspen is thrust into a vivid, challenging world she can’t control … and doesn’t want to. A darkly funny, emotionally gripping story of opening up, letting go, and moving on, ASPEN is about the best-worst accident of your life … and what comes next.

Enter below to win!