New Release: SHATTERED WARRIOR

SHATTERED WARRIOR
by Sharon Shinn, illustrated by Molly Ostertag (First Second, May 2017)

It is eight years after Colleen Cavanaugh's home world was invaded by the Derichets, a tyrannical alien race bent on exploiting the planet's mineral resources.

Most of her family died in the war, and she now lives alone in the city. Aside from her acquaintances at the factory where she toils for the Derichets, Colleen makes a single friend in Jann, a member of the violent group of rebels known as the Chromatti. One day Colleen receives shocking news: her niece Lucy is alive and in need of her help. Together, Colleen, Jann, and Lucy create their own tenuous family.

But Colleen must decide if it's worth risking all of their survival to join a growing underground revolution against the Derichets.

Select praise for Shattered Warrior:

-Booklist review: "Perfect for fans of dystopian sci-fi and books with strong female leads."
-School Library Journal review: "Ostertag’s art supports Shinn’s storytelling beautifully. ...This is a strong choice for sci-fi graphic novel collections, especially those seeking representation in genre fiction."

Deal Announcement: HEARTSEEKER

Arianne Lewin at Putnam has acquired Melinda Beatty's middle grade debut HEARTSEEKER, about Only Fallow, whose ability to see lies means she must leave everything she's known behind to serve her King, while his enemies aim to make sure she never reaches the castle alive. It's scheduled for publication in 2018; Jen Linnan at Linnan Literary Management did the two-book deal.

PW: Rights Report: Week of December 5, 2016.

Deal Announcement: STAGE DREAMS

Melanie Gillman's YA graphic novel STAGE DREAMS, a queer western romance set in New Mexico Territory at the start of the Civil War, following Grace, a young trans girl runaway, who joins forces with a charismatic lesbian stagecoach robber to steal important plans from the invading Confederate army, to Greg Hunter at Graphic Universe, for publication in spring 2019, by Jen Linnan at Linnan Literary Management.

Women Write About Comics: Melanie Gillman's STAGE DREAMS: A Story of Queer Romance and Espionage!

Deal Announcement: THIMBLE

Sarah W. Searle's middle grade graphic novel THIMBLE, which follows 12-year-old Harriet Flores across a restless late summer in 1996 as she struggles with a move from rural Indiana to Chicago, a one-sided penpal situation, chronic illness, and the idea that her new landlady has stored a dark secret on the unoccupied top floor of their building, to Greg Hunter at Graphic Universe, for publication in fall 2019, by Jen Linnan at Linnan Literary Management.

A.V. Club: Sarah W. Searle announces her new coming-of-age graphic novel THIMBLE

New Release: CAVEBOY DAVE

CAVEBOY DAVE: MORE SCRAWNY THAN BRAWNY
by Aaron Reynolds, illustrated by Phil McAndrew (Viking Children's, Nov. 2016)

His grandpa invented fire. His dad invented the wheel. How will Caveboy Dave leave his mark?

Dave Unga-Bunga has always been more scrawny than brawny. This is a major problem when your village expects you to become a meat-bringer. At age twelve, all young cave-people must stalk through the eerie mushroom forests for a prehistoric beast the village can feast on. But Dave would much rather invent stuff for a better life—like underwear to make loincloths less itchy and cutlery to make eating less filthy. Can Dave save his group by inventing the perfect defense against a bloodthirsty pokeyhorn? Or will he MEET HIS DOOM?  

Select praise for CAVEBOY DAVE:
-Amazon Best Book of the Month, November 2016
-School Library Journal review: "Put this on the shelf between Jorge Aguirre’s Chronicles of Claudette series and Ben Hatke’s Zita the Spacegirl books." 
-PW review: "...a delightfully entertaining tale about discovering one’s true calling...it mixes meaningful character growth with alarming threats to life and limb."
-Kirkus review: "Bright colors and animated, exaggeratedly doofy characters buoy the rollicking action, mixing intrigue and lots of giggles... A lively series opener." 

"Caveboy Dave is a hilarious new graphic novel series...imagine a prehistoric version of Wimpy Kid meets Captain Underpants."
—Boys' Life

"Nonstop action, belly laughs, and stabby cats. What's not to love?"
—Victoria Jamieson, author and illustrator of the NYT-bestselling and Newbery Honor–winning Roller Girl

"Fast-paced and funny." 
—Mo O’Hara, author of the NYT-bestselling Zombie Goldfish series
 

New Release: THE HAUNTED HOUSE PROJECT

THE HAUNTED HOUSE PROJECT by Tricia Clasen
Sky Pony Press, October 2016

Since her mom died, Andie’s family has crumbled. Instead of working, her dad gambles away insurance money, while her sister, Paige, has put her future on hold in order to pick up extra waitressing shifts. Andie’s afraid of what will happen if people find out just how bad things are. She’s not sure how long she can hide the fact that there’s no food or money in the house...or adults, for that matter.

When her science partner suggests they study paranormal activity, Andie gets an idea. She wants a sign from her mom—anything to tell her it’s going to be okay. Maybe the rest of her family does too. So she starts a project of her own. Pretending to be her mother’s ghost, Andie sprays perfume, changes TV channels, and moves pictures. Haunting her house is Andie’s last hope to bring her family back into the land of the living.

Select praise for THE HAUNTED HOUSE PROJECT:
Kirkus review: "A touching story that explores grief and the bravery necessary to come out of it."
PW review:  "A heartrending portrait of a family coping with sudden and enormous loss...with authentic characters and emotions."

"Real magic exists in how this story lingers long after the last page... As Andie realizes her own strength by accepting the unthinkable, readers’ awareness and compassion for others will flourish, too."
- Beth Vrabel, author of A Blind Guide to Stinkville

 

2016 Ignatz Award nominations announced!

HUGE congratulations to all of the nominees, with special shout-outs to clients Melanie Gillman, Sloane Leong, Carolyn Nowak, and Taneka Stotts! 

Outstanding Anthology or Collection:
Beyond: The Queer Sci Fi and Fantasy Anthology edited by Sfé R. Monster and Taneka Stotts

Promising New Talent:
Carolyn Nowak for Radishes

Outstanding Comic:
As the Crow Flies by Melanie Gillman

Outstanding Minicomic:
Maps to the Suns by Sloane Leong
Radishes by Carolyn Nowak

New Release: THE HYPNOTIC CITY

THE HYPNOTIC CITY by Andrea Berthot
Curiosity Quills Press, August 2016

Philomena Blackwell survived a city plagued with monsters, the gilded cage of high society, and the rule of a heartless man... and she aims to leave it all behind.

It's 1905, and London has finally been freed from Henry Jekyll's terrible legacy - its people cured, its thirteen-year quarantine lifted. The world is waiting, and for a girl who dreams of being its most dazzling star, what could be more enticing than the bright lights of New York City?

She is drawn across the ocean like a moth to a flame, her heart set on proving that while she may be small on the outside, her soaring talent eclipses even Manhattan’s towering skyline. When she lands a big break, it seems as if the city is ready to fall under her spell - just as she seems to be falling for a handsome young stage manager. But is it her stage presence mesmerizing the audience, or something more sinister behind the scenes?

Philomena has always relied on her fierce will and fiery heart, but a new and more terrible danger lurks in the shadows of Broadway's bright lights, and even a mind as determined as hers may not be immune to its seductive, insidious pull...

Both fans of The Heartless City and new readers alike will enjoy this stand-alone / spin-off tale of Philomena’s adventures on stage - and in love - in NYC.

Deal Announcement: THE WITCH BOY

Molly Knox Ostertag

Amanda Maciel at Scholastic Press has acquired Molly Knox Ostertag's THE WITCH BOY, a middle-grade graphic novel about a young boy growing up in a magical community where all men are trained as shapeshifters and all women as witches. When a mysterious foe from his family's past reappears, Aster is the only one who can help them - but to do so, he'll have to reveal he's broken with tradition and learned witch magic in secret. Publication is set for 2018. Jen Linnan negotiated the deal for world rights.

Molly Knox Ostertag grew up in the forests of upstate New York. She studied cartooning at SVA in New York City and now lives in Los Angeles, where she enjoys the beach year-round but misses good bagels. She has a perfect tiny cat and draws the webcomic Strong Female Protagonist.

PW Rights Report: Week of July 18, 2016.

New Release: KARMA PATROL

KARMA PATROL by Kate Miller
Curiosity Quills Press, April 2016

As a karmic account enforcer, Jade Bailey makes sure that what goes around comes around. Jade has dedicated her life to Karma Division, and in return she's expecting her own personal fairytale, complete with her dream job and love at first sight with a tall, dark, and handsome soulmate.

After more than a decade of waiting, her destined soulmate still hasn't turned up, but a stellar annual performance review from the Powers That Be puts Jade at the top of the promotion list. All she has to do is maintain her territory's karmic balance until the selection process is over. Naturally, a deranged shooter picks the next day to start a rampage that threatens to destroy the karmic balance of Midtown West - and, incidentally, any chance Jade has of earning that long-awaited promotion.

Unwilling to give up despite warnings from her boss, who knows the shadowy Destiny Division won't appreciate Jade's interference, Jade starts her own investigation. In the next shooting, she nearly becomes a victim herself, but she can't prove her near-death experience is anything but a coincidence. Detective Luke Jackson, Jade's unwitting and extremely unwilling soulmate, arrives on the scene to investigate. Instead of falling head over heels in love with her, Luke suspects her of being involved in the murders.

If Jade wants her fairytale ending, she’ll have to convince her soulmate she isn’t a killer while trying to catch the real culprit, a task made more difficult and infinitely more dangerous when Jade becomes the killer’s next target.

Deal Announcement: I WANT YOU

Madeleine Flores

I want... a cat cafe near my office. Please?

Children's: Young Adult / Graphic Novel

Madeleine Flores' YA graphic novel I WANT YOU, about a girl working in her brother's cat cafe who has a secret magical ability that allows her to get whatever she wishes for whenever she says “I want,” to Ari Yarwood at Oni Press, for publication in 2018, by Jen Linnan at Linnan Literary Management (World).

CAVEBOY DAVE - Cover Reveal and Sneak Peek!

CAVEBOY DAVE: MORE SCRAWNY THAN BRAWNY
by Aaron Reynolds, illustrated by Phil McAndrew (Viking Children's, Nov. 2016)

Click to read Chapter One of CAVEBOY DAVE: MORE SCRAWNY THAN BRAWNY at BoysLife.org!

"CAVEBOY DAVE is a hilarious new graphic novel series about a primitive kid named Dave Unga-Bunga, struggling through the pains of growing up in a world in which he doesn’t fit in.

Imagine a prehistoric version of WIMPY KID meets CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS.

What’s so tough about Dave’s life? For starters, his grandfather invented fire and his dad invented the wheel — so how is he supposed to live up to that sort of family reputation? You’ll have to read it find out to find out."
--Boys' Life Magazine

“Nonstop action, belly laughs, and stabby cats. What's not to love?”
--Victoria Jamieson, author and illustrator of the New York Times bestselling and Newbery Honor-winning ROLLER GIRL
 
“Fast-paced and funny.”
--Mo O’Hara, author of the New York Times bestselling ZOMBIE GOLDFISH series
 

THE HAUNTED HOUSE PROJECT - Cover Reveal!

View fullsize

THE HAUNTED HOUSE PROJECT by Tricia Clasen
Sky Pony Press, September 2016

I'm thrilled to share the final cover design for Tricia Clasen's middle grade debut, THE HAUNTED HOUSE PROJECT:

Since her mom died, Andie's family has crumbled. Instead of working, her dad gambles away insurance money, while her sister, Paige, has put her future on hold in order to pick up extra waitressing shifts. Andie's afraid of what will happen if people find out just how bad things are. She's not sure how long she can hide the fact that there's no food or money in the house...or adults, for that matter.

When her science partner suggests they study paranormal activity, Andie gets an idea. She wants a sign from her mom - anything to tell her it's going to be okay. Maybe the rest of her family does too. So she starts a project of her own. Pretending to be her mother's ghost, Andie sprays perfume, changes TV channels, and moves pictures. Haunting her house is Andie's last hope to bring her family back into the land of the living. 

For anyone who loved COUNTING BY 7s, THE HAUNTED HOUSE PROJECT is a journey through loss and grief, but ultimately a story of hope and self-reliance. As much as Andie has been changed by her mother's death, the changes she makes herself are the ones that are most important. 

Cover reveal hosted by Kidliterati!

Deal Announcement: THISBY THESTOOP AND THE BLACK MOUNTAIN

Zac Gorman

Winter 2018 can't come soon enough!

Children's: Middle Grade

Zac Gorman's THISBY THESTOOP AND THE BLACK MOUNTAIN, an illustrated series about a twelve-year-old girl who becomes gamekeeper at a massive dungeon full of monsters and winds up having to save the princess when a royal tour goes awry, to David Linker at Harper Children's, in a two-book deal, for publication in Winter 2018, by Jen Linnan at Linnan Literary Management (World). 

PW: Harper Kids Visits Gorman's 'Black Mountain'

New Release: CURVEBALL

CURVEBALL by Jeremy Sorese
Nobrow Press, November 2015

CURVEBALL is an epic, sci-fi graphic novel about a waiter named Avery coping with the ending of a difficult relationship. Having spent years attempting to build something substantial with an indecisive sailor named Christophe, Avery stubbornly holds on despite the mounting evidence against him. The idea of the relationship has eclipsed its reality, and in Avery's already troubled life, the allure of something dependable is a powerful force.

Curveball focuses on the duality of hope and delusion - how ignorance is integral to surviving our day to day lives, but can be incredibly destructive if allowed to blossom into 'optimism'. It is the most universal of tales: a love story.

Select praise for CURVEBALL:
- Library Journal review: "This story truly intrigues in its visual riot—pages splattered with a wild neon orange, electrical surges literally full of emotion, crowds rushing past skyscrapers and scurrying across ship decks, bringing an exotic new world to life."
- Sequential State review: "Curveball is the nightcap of 2015’s sci-fi comics, the grand finale; a gorgeous comic, beautifully illustrated, full of heart. Recommended."

2016 YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens nominations!

BABA YAGA'S ASSISTANT and STRONG FEMALE PROTAGONIST (VOL. 1) have been nominated for the 2016 YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens list in the Fiction category.

The list presents graphic novels published in the past 16 months that are recommended reading for teens aged 12-18. It is a general list of graphic novels, both fiction and nonfiction, selected for proven or potential appeal to the personal reading tastes of teens.

The committee will meet, discuss nominations, and select the final list at the at the ALA Midwinter conference (January 2016). 

View the full list of nominees: http://www.ala.org/yalsa/ggnt/nominations

Shortlisted: 2015 Autostraddle Comic + Sequential Arts Awards!

This week, Autostraddle announced their nominations for the 2nd Annual Autostraddle Comic and Sequential Arts Awards, which celebrate positive representation for queer women and feminist issues in comics, webcomics and graphic novels. 

I'm OVER THE MOON to see some familiar (client) faces amongst the nominees - and they are in incredible company. Shout-outs commence:

Favorite All-Ages Comic:
Help Us! Great Warrior by Madeleine Flores (Boom Studios) - her colorist, Trillian Gunn, is also nominated in the Best Colorist category.

Favorite Webcomic - Serial: 
Strong Female Protagonist by Brennan Lee Mulligan and Molly Ostertag

Favorite Webcomic - Episodic:
Emily Carroll’s online comics (“When the Darkness Presses,” “All Along the Wall” and “The Groom“)
Annie Mok’s work for Rookie (“The Delaney Comets,” “No, No, No: A Guide to Girling Wrong” and “Florals“)

Favorite Graphic Novel / Book:
Baba Yaga’s Assistant by Marika McCoola and Emily Carroll
Dear Amanda by Cathy G. Johnson

Favorite Writer / Artist:
Emily Carroll (online work)
Annie Mok (work on Rookie)

New Release: THE HEARTLESS CITY

THE HEARTLESS CITY by Andrea Berthot
Curiosity Quills Press, August 2015

Henry Jekyll was a brilliant doctor, a passionate idealist who aimed to free mankind of selfishness and vice. He’s also the man who carelessly created a race of monsters.

Once shared secretly among the good doctor’s inner circle, the Hyde drug was smuggled into mass-production - but in pill form, it corrupted its users at the genetic level, leaving them liable to transform without warning. A quarter of the population are now clandestine killers - ticking bombs that could detonate at any given moment.

It’s 1903, and London has been quarantined for thirteen years.

Son of the city’s most prominent physician and cure-seeker, seventeen-year-old Elliot Morrissey has had his own devastating brush with science, downing a potion meant to remove his human weaknesses and strengthen him against the Hydes - and finding instead he’s become an empath, leveled by the emotions of a dying city.

He finds an unlikely ally in Iris Faye, a waitress at one of the city’s rowdier music halls, whose emotions nearly blind him; her fearlessness is a beacon in a city rife with terror. Iris, however, is more than what she seems, and reveals a mission to bring down the establishment that has crippled the people of London.

Together, they aim to discover who’s really pulling the strings in Jekyll’s wake, and why citizens are waking up in the street infected, with no memory of ever having taken the Hyde drug…

Heart-eating monsters, it turns out, are not the greatest evil they must face.

New Release: BABA YAGA'S ASSISTANT

BABA YAGA'S ASSISTANT
by Marika McCoola / art by Emily Carroll
Candlewick, August 2015

Most children think twice before braving a haunted wood filled with terrifying beasties to match wits with a witch, but not Masha. Her beloved grandma taught her many things: that stories are useful, that magic is fickle, that nothing is too difficult or too dirty to clean. The fearsome witch of folklore needs an assistant, and Masha needs an adventure. She may be clever enough to enter Baba Yaga’s house-on-chicken-legs, but within its walls, deceit is the rule. To earn her place, Masha must pass a series of tests, outfox a territorial bear, and make dinner for her host. No easy task, with children on the menu! Spooky and poignant, Marika McCoola’s stunning debut—with richly layered art by acclaimed graphic artist Emily Carroll—is a storytelling feat and a visual feast.

Select praise for BABA YAGA'S ASSISTANT:
- #3 debut on The New York Times HC graphic books list
- 2015 NEIBA Book Award winner
- 2015 Junior Library Guild selection
- Shortlisted for the 2015 Autostraddle Comic and Sequential Art Awards in the Favorite Graphic Novel/Book category
- Kirkus starred review: "A magnificently magical must-read for all fairy-tale fans."
- PW review: "Strong, complex characters and the inventive fusion of contemporary and fairy tale elements make this a noteworthy collaboration."
- Booklist review: "Carroll’s dark yet luminous artwork is a perfect match for McCoola’s tale...full of eerie shading and delicate detail."