After tragedy strikes on the day they were to wed, Jayden must support Kadesh as he ascends the throne and becomes king of Sariba. But with the dark priestess Aliyah conspiring to control the crown, and the arrival of Horeb, Jayden’s former betrothed, Kadesh’s kingdom, as well as his status as king, is at stake.

Jayden knows that the time to be merciful has come and gone, and that some enemies can only be halted by death. Now she and Kadesh must prepare to fight not only for their love, but also for their kingdom.

Buy the book! Blue Willow Bookshop  Brazos Bookstore  Indiebound  Barnes & Noble  Amazon

JASPER AND THE RIDDLE OF RILEY’S MINE

By Caroline Starr Rose

Published by Penguin Random House

From the publisher: Desperate to get away from their drunkard of a father, eleven-year-old Jasper and his older brother Melvin often talk of running away, of heading north to Alaska to chase riches beyond their wildest dreams. The Klondike Gold Rush is calling, and Melvin has finally decided the time to go is now—even if that means leaving Jasper behind. But Jasper has other plans, and follows his brother aboard a steamer as a stowaway.

Onboard the ship, Jasper overhears a rumor about One-Eyed Riley, an old coot who’s long since gone, but is said to have left clues to the location of his stake, which still has plenty of gold left. The first person to unravel the clues and find the mine can stake the claim and become filthy rich. Jasper is quick to catch gold fever and knows he and Melvin can find the mine—all they have to do is survive the rough Alaskan terrain, along with the steep competition from the unscrupulous and dangerous people they encounter along the way.

Buy the book! Penguin Random House Blue Willow Bookshop  Brazos Bookstore  Indiebound  Barnes & Noble  Amazon

Local Author Events

For Readers

FEBRUARY 7, TUESDAY, 7:00 PM: CAROLINE LEECH, YA AUTHOR

Brazos Bookstore

Brazos Bookstore and author Caroline Leech celebrate the launch of Caroline’s debut young adult novel, WAIT FOR ME. Set in Scotland towards the end of World War Two, the book tells the story of a girl’s reaction to a German prisoner of war who is sent to work on her father’s farm. A few things to keep in mind for a book launch event at Brazos Bookstore:

• Reserve your book online at least 24 hours in advance. Call 713-523-0701 to reserve books on the day of the signing.
• Please buy books to-be-signed directly from Brazos Bookstore.
• Get here early because parking in the lot is limited. There is abundant street parking nearby.
• You can have your book signed even if you can’t make it. Please pay in advance to guarantee signed books.

FEBRUARY 7, TUESDAY, 5:00 PM: LISA MCMANN, MG AUTHOR

Middle grade author Lisa McMann will discuss and sign her novel DRAGON CAPTIVES, a companion book to THE UNWANTEDS series, set ten years later.

From the publisher: Identical twins Fifer and Thisbe Stowe have amazing yet uncontrollable magical abilities. They’re naturally more gifted than even their brother, Alex, the head mage of Artime, could hope to be. But when they accidentally use their magic in the jungle of Artime to strike down a beloved creature, Alex is furious, and threatens to lock them away until they can learn to control their power.

The threat is soon forgotten, though, when Hux, the ice blue dragon, comes to Artime bearing the horrible news that his siblings have been enslaved by the notoriously evil Revinir, ruler of the dragon land.

Seeking a chance to right their wrong and escape their brother’s wrath, Thisbe, Fifer, and their friend Seth sneak away to rescue the dragons from grave peril. Will their untrained abilities be enough to save the dragons–and themselves–when they come face-to-face with the Revinir?

For Writers

FEBRUARY 11, SATURDAY:WEST HOUSTON RWA ALL DAY WORKSHOP: C.C. CRAIG AND EMILY AWARDS

Memorial Drive Christian Church, 11750 Memorial Drive, Houston, TX
COST: Non-members may attend two meetings prior to joining RWA

Bestselling author Christie Craig will give an in-depth talk about building characters. She’ll offer tips on how to make your characters jump off the page and into the hearts of your readers. How to make them more lovable, even when they’re bad. How to plagarize from your own life to offer richness to your scenes. Using simple techniques, she teaches how to create engaging characters one building block at a time. Goals, flaws, fears, conflicts, plot development, it all stems from character.

FEBRUARY 12-MARCH 26, SUNDAYS, 3:00-6:00 PM:FICTION FOR BEGINNING WRITERS: CASSANDRA ROSE CLARKE

Writespace
COST:Until Tuesday, February 7: $185 Members, $215 Non-Members. After February 7: $215 Members, $245 Non-Members

Telling stories has been a part of the human experience for as long as there have been humans, but the experience of formalizing those stories into a work of written fiction can be a daunting process. In this workshop, we’ll examine the basics of good fiction: plot, character, dialogue, and setting. We’ll read and discuss both classic and contemporary short stories, examine them to see how they work, and apply the techniques we learn in a series of fun, inspiring writing exercises. We’ll also set aside to time to talk about the process of actually writing: How do you make time to write? How can you find a good critique group? What happens after you’ve finished a story? And at the end of the workshop, students will have the opportunity to have their work—either a short story or a chapter from a novel—critiqued. All genres are welcome, from literary fiction to mystery to science fiction and fantasy!

Conference Updates

For more conference information, visit the main conference pages. If you’d like to be notified of these weekly updates, please use the Subscribe to Updates form on the sidebars!

Agents & Editors @ Conferences

APRIL 7-9:WESTERN WASHINGTON SCBWI SPRING CONFERENCE, REDMOND, WA

EDITORS: Alison Weiss/Sky Pony Press; Jessica Anderson/Christy Ottaviano Books; Melissa Manlove/Chronicle Books; Stephanie Pitts/Putnam Young Readers/ Penguin
ART DIRECTOR: Kristine Brogno/Chronicle Books
AGENTS: Danielle Smith/Lupine Grove Creative; Deborah Warren/East West Literary; Rebecca Sherman, Writer’s House

APRIL 15, SATURDAY, 9:00 AM-5:00 PM:LIKE I CARE: NOVEL COMPREHENSIVE

AGENT: Lorin Oberweger/Adams Literary

APRIL 28-30: DIVERSE INPIRATIONS: CONNECTING THE DOTS

AGENTS:Jennie Goloboy/Red Sofa Literary; Johnnie Bernhard/Loiacono Literary Agency
EDITOR: Christine Klocek-Lim/Evernight Publishing

JUNE 22-24: SOCAL CHRISTIAN WRITERS CONFERENCE, LA MIRADA, CA

AGENT: Adria Goetz/Martin Literary Agency
EDITOR: Miralee Ferrel/Mountain Brook Ink; Renae Green/Armonia Publishing

Indie Publishing Conferences

MARCH 19: INDIE AUTHOR SEMINAR: BUDGETING, EDITING, & BOOK PRODUCTION, CAMARILLO, CA

This seminar prepares writers for the publishing process, finalizing your manuscript, and sending your book into production. At this point you are ready to market the book, create a buzz and make sales. A follow-up/companion seminar is offered April 9.

APRIL 9: INDIE AUTHOR SEMINAR: MARKETING YOUR BOOK, CAMARILLO, CA

Full day seminar: Morning session: how to build a true author’s platform to promote your book: website, blogs, social media, and reviews. Afternoon session: how to use your platform to sell books—Amazon,e-reader programs, giveaways, libraries, distribution, and more. A companion seminar is offered March 19.

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