Random Musings of a Bibliophile

Regular readers of this blog know how much I love dragons, strong-willed heroines, and political intrigue. Stephanie Burgis has a series that combines all three exquisitely with the added bonus of frequent chocolate references. I am so pleased today to reveal the cover of the third installment of the series. Isn't beautiful? I love everything about it from the use of light to Sofia's expression and every detail in between. (I don't know how Stephanie always manages to have the most perfectly gorgeous covers for her books, but she does.)  Peter Antonsson is the artist. Thank you Peter for gifting us with this. Jacket copy:  Perfect for fans of Shannon Hale, this girl-powered fantasy follows a smart young princess determined to save her kingdom. Princess Sofia of Drachenheim is sick of being used for her older sister’s political gains. At twelve years old, she’s already been a hostage to invading dragons and a promised future fiancé to a wicked fairy. Her ...

Stephanie Burgis is an auto-buy favorite author of mine. Her latest MG book combines some of my favorite things: dragons, strong girls, female friendships, and chocolate. I am so pleased to debut the trailer for the book today. The trailer was created by Lodestar Author Services  ( @lodestaras ). The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart  is currently available in the UK and releases in the US on May 30th. You can read the first chapter here at Stephanie's website . Links: Amazon Barnes and Noble Goodreads Indie Trust me. You want to read this one. And have plenty of chocolate on hand when you do.

I'm rather choosy about participating in publicity for a book. When I received an email about possibly participating in this blog tour for Piecing Me Together by Renée Watson, my immediate answer was yes, yes, and yes. Not only do I love Watson's work in general, but I had already read my ARC of Piecing Me Together and knew exactly how special this book is.  There is a link to a giveaway sponsored by Bloomsbury following Renée's lovely words on art and finding your people.  On Finding My People by Renée Watson  “She is a friend of my mind. She gather me, man. The pieces I am, she gather them and give them back to me in all the right order. It’s good, you know, when you got a woman who is a friend of your mind.” –Toni Morrison, Beloved I am often asked, “What advice would you give aspiring writers?” I usually start by saying what every English teacher I’ve ever had told me, something we writers all know and have heard time and time again...

Anne Nesbet is a must read author for me. I've enjoyed all of her books. (If you haven't read last year's The Wrinkled Crown, you are missing out on one of the best MG books of 2015.) This being the case, I'm so excited to bring you the cover reveal for her 2016 release, Cloud and Wallfish.  The  cover is amazing. The synopsis has me wanting this book NOW. Anne's interview following the cover and synopsis is a must read that offers insight into the books and characters. (Did I mention I want to read this book now?) And without further ado: Friends you make while the world is falling apart are friends you keep  forever.   Noah Brown's ordinary, everyday life is smashed to smithereens the  day his parents tell him his name isn't really Noah, his birthday  isn't really in March, and his new home is going to be East Berlin,  on the other side of the Iron Curtain. It's 1989, and everywhere all  around countries are remaking themselves, b...

Today I'm thrilled and excited to be hosting the cover reveal for Secrets of the Dragon Tomb  by Patrick Samphire. I've been looking forward to reading this book since I first heard about it, and I'm so happy it's release is that much closer. The cover is wonderful too. It's as unique as the book's concept and fits its synopsis so well. As a bonus, Patrick has answered some questions and given a little more information on the book. Without further ado: Mars in 1816 is a world of high society, deadly danger, and strange clockwork machines.  Twelve-year-old Edward Sullivan wants to become a spy like the ones he reads about in his favorite magazine, Thrilling Martian Tales, but he’s far too busy keeping his eccentric family from disaster. All of that is about to change. In the north, great dragon tombs hide marvels of Ancient Martian technology, and the villainous archaeologist Sir Titus Dane is determined to loot one.  When Sir Titus kidnaps Edwar...

Today I welcome Newbery Award winning author Karen Cushman to the blog to  tell us a bit about her writing process. Ms. Cushman is responsible for such wonderful books as The Midwife's Apprentice and Catherine, Called Birdy. Her latest novel , Will Sparrow's Road, is her first book with a male main character.  We bought our house partly because of the charming studio for me to write in.  But I don’t write there. My writing process?  Here’s the short version:  I don’t write every day and I don’t always write in a chair.  I don’t have a set number of words or pages to do before I stop.  I don’t follow anyone’s rules, and I don’t have rules of my own.   I remodeled this loft as a place for me to write in.  But I don’t write there. I believe my job is to write each day but I could write a longer post about my procrastination process: I read the newspaper, emails, writing blogs, and Google News. I eat breakfa...