Hi, Desiree and Saraciea! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourselves?

DESIREE: I’m a Black writer from Louisiana. I love writing stories that feature Black kids and teens encountering magic, mystery, adventure, and all things fantastical. I grew up loving science fiction and fantasy, but rarely saw people like myself in those stories or movies. So today I write for the shy nerdy teen I used to be, and for the grown-up nerd I am today. I love talking about alien conspiracies, urban legends, folklore, and about the strange things that live in the dark corners of our bedrooms.

SARACIEA: Sure, I’m a Black Honduran American Brooklyn born writer from the Bronx, NY! I love writing stories for teens and adults that center Black voices and experiences. I’m also a huge nerd and love all things speculative fiction, from SFF/H to magical realism and more. I think humor makes everything better, so I also love to make people laugh when I can.

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

DESIREE: I would say I discovered my love for writing and stories as as soon as I found my love for reading, which was very early in life. I recall that one of the first stories I ever wrote was at the age of 4, a story about a lonely little ghost. I loved the idea of responding to the stories I read with my own stories, writing back to the writers. Books in many ways saved my life as a kid. I was a poor kid from a rural family, and the library was the one place in town I could go to escape. I started writing stories because there were so many stories in my head fighting to get out. As a kid I wrote handwritten novels on loose leaf paper, filling several trapper keepers. But even though I loved writing fiction, it wasn’t until a couple of decades later that I would find the courage to try to get professionally published and make a career out of it.

SARACIEA: I discovered my love for stories when I was really young. I grew up on oral storytelling, my siblings and cousins and I would each tell each other stories too. So I think that’s where my love for crafting spine tingling stories came from. At night we would take turns telling bedtime stories and I always had to bring the scary to my stories. As far as actual writing goes, that started for me when I was in high school, I started out like most folks – writing poetry. I loved Edgar Allan Poe because of how dark his stuff was. Later, I fell in love with creative nonfiction, and speculative fiction. While it took me a while to get my fiction published, I did write a bunch of nonfiction and journalism style articles for my high school and college newspapers.

The Black Girl Survives in This One is a new YA horror anthology featuring 15 stories and co-edited by you both! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

DESIREE: Black girls fighting and surviving.

SARACIEA: Black final girls for the win! (Whoops that’s six, but couldn’t resist )

What can readers expect?

DESIREE: I think this anthology is a great introduction to the horror genre for anyone nervous about reading horror. For one, they’re short stories, so you can read each in one sitting! For another, the title is a big spoiler. You go in knowing the girl you’re rooting for makes it out alive, and there’s a certain sense of security in that. But you still get a great story along the way, rooting for her and her friends, and getting to enjoy the thrill of the ride. The stories also offer a variety of takes on horror and its subgenres, from ghosts to mythological creatures to psychological horror, which makes it a good sampler for anyone wondering what horror is and what horror can do.

SARACIEA: I agree with Desiree here. there’s truly a wonderful variety of horror from space horror to zombies, there’s something for everyone! Most of all it’s Black storytelling centering Black girls who survive the horrors of the world whether fictional or realistic, and I think readers will resonate with it.

What inspired the collection to come to life?

DESIREE: There’s been a lot of meta-discourse and conversation in the last few years around horror tropes like the Final Girl. A lot of books have come out discussing Final Girls. I love seeing this chatter, but one thing I noticed was that there was not enough conversation around race as it relates to the Final Girl. Which girls get to survive and why? And how does race play into that? With the horror boom in full effect, and with the birth of a Black horror renaissance following Jordan Peele’s Get Out, there’s been more room to really enter into the conversation about horror and who gets to make horror. In this climate, we thought this was a great opportunity to make a call for more Black Final Girls. We love the ones we have, but they are so rare. So that became the theme of our anthology — we want more Black Final Girls! And my co-editor and I both love young-adult fiction and see such power in that age group, and truly there is no better place to talk about teen girls kicking butt and saving the world than YA. But our goal was to center Black girls in that YA space as heroines, survivors, and Final Girls.

SARACIEA: I think Desiree covered it all here. We wanted to offer something to the horror cannon for Black girls. I definitely was able to heal some of my inner teenself by reading these chilling and thrilling stories that I had always longed for growing up.

Can you tell us a bit about the process of putting together an anthology?

DESIREE: We were able to work well given the new technologies that make teamwork over great distances possible — Zoom Video Calls, Google Docs, and text! After our initial work to get the anthology sold, we really concentrated on solidifying the contributor list and getting these writers’ first drafts edited and revised. We knew we wanted a diverse array of Black writers, so we drew from writers working in various age categories and also targeted writers in genres that had a kinship to horror, such as dark fantasy and thrillers. We also did an open call for new voices because it was important to us that we offer an opportunity to a writer who was unpublished. So we had to read through a lot of amazing submissions to select a winner. In the end, it was about making every story shine individually and making the anthology work as a cohesive project. Through every draft and conversation with our editors and with our contributors, our aim was to make all of the stories as strong, and as scary, as we could.

SARACIEA: It was such a fun collaborative effort. Though it was a lot of work to carve out time to edit each story individually, it was an awesome experience. Desiree also got to put together a moodboard for the cover direction, and aside from editing some badass writers, that was one of the highlights of this project for me. I mean just look at that gorgeous cover – it’s totally amazing!

Whilst not playing favourites, was there a particular story that you wish you had gotten to read when you were younger?

DESIREE: Honestly, this entire collection would have changed my young life. To see Black girls as the main characters?! To see us fighting villains and winning?! Every story in this collection would have shaken me to the core. I needed these stories as a kid. And heck, I need these stories now as an adult.

SARACIEA: Totally agree with Desiree here! I longed for variety in horror like this growing up so getting to see the lore from some cultures within the African diaspora that I wasn’t familiar with was refreshing and it made me want to search out more horror honestly. I’m hoping that readers will devour this collection and walk away knowing that the genre is so broad, that there is a place for anyone within the genre, whether you like more gore, creature features, or psychological stories, it’s all here!

What’s next for you both?

DESIREE: Our debuts! We are both working on what we hope will be our solo debut books. I’m so excited for y’all to read the novel I’m working on, a book where I will be able to dive deeper into some of the themes introduced in my short story in the anthology. I’m also so excited to see what Saraciea’s first book will be. So please stay tuned for us — publishing can be a long process, but we promise we have good things coming your way in the future!

SARACIEA: Yes, next up will be a fresh solo project. Though, I’m not going to lie, anthologies are likely in my future because I love getting to work with other writers hehe. But for now, I’m spending time working on my debut project, it’s so satisfying not having strict publishing deadlines, ha! In the meantime, I’m excited for more  readers to discover my work, and hopefully follow along with me on this writer journey.

Lastly, are there any book releases that you’re looking forward to picking up this year?

DESIREE: A lot of my favorite writers have been recommending James by Percival Everett, so I’m very excited to pick that novel up the next time I’m book shopping. I love Everett’s work, and I’m so interested to see what he does with his retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

SARACIEA: There’s so many great books about to hit shelves, but I’m really excited about Lauren Blackwood’s forthcoming THE DANGEROUS ONES, because I’m obsessed with vampires and can’t wait to devour this one.

Will you be picking up The Black Girl Survives In This One? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Desiree S. Evans and Saraciea J. Fennell, Co-Editors of ‘The Black Girl Survives In This One’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Intrigued? Well read on to discover the synopsis and take a peek at Our Joy, Our Power by Julian Winters. Cool. Awkward. Black. is out January 10th 2023.

A girl who believes in UFOs; a boy who might have finally found his Prince Charming; a hopeful performer who dreams of being cast in her school’s production of The Sound of Music; a misunderstood magician of sorts with a power she doesn’t quite understand.

These plotlines and many more compose the eclectic stories found within the pages of this dynamic, exciting, and expansive collection featuring exclusively Black characters. From contemporary to historical, fantasy to sci-fi, magical to realistic, and with contributions from a powerhouse list of self-proclaimed geeks and bestselling, award-winning authors, this life-affirming anthology celebrates and redefines the many facets of Blackness and geekiness–both in the real world and those imagined.

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The post Read An Excerpt From ‘Cool. Awkward. Black.’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Magic, monsters, meddling mothers, mysteries, and more all await you amongst 2023’s upcoming young adult books! From authors such as Marie Lu, Alexandra Bracken, Ibi Zoboi, Steven Salvatore, and Adiba Jaigirdar, along with those making their dazzling debut this year, there are so many books to look forward to.

We’ve rounded up 72 YA books releasing between the months of January and June, so you will definitely find quite a few exciting new reads within this list. Be sure to check out our other 2023 round-ups too, including our Most Anticipated, Romance, Middle Grade, and Queer Books lists!

Read on to discover our picks and tell us in the comments below what you are looking forward to!

JANUARY

Cool. Awkward. Black.
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
A multi-genre YA anthology of bestselling, critically acclaimed Black authors challenging the concept of the geek, featuring contributions from Amerie, Kalynn Bayron, Terry J. Benton-Walker, Roseanne A. Brown, Elise Bryant, Tracy Deonn, Desiree S. Evans, Isaac Fitzsimons, Lamar Giles, Jordan Ifueko, Leah Johnson, Amanda Joy, Kwame Mbalia, Tochi Onyebuchi, Shari B. Pennant, K. Arsenault Rivera, Julian Winters, and Ibi Zoboi.

A Ruinous Fate by Kaylie Smith
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A Ruinous Fate series will take readers’ imaginations to new heights on an adventure of dark secrets, witches, and forbidden magic.  

Retro by Jarrod Shusterman & Sofía Lapuente
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What starts off as a light-hearted competition to live without modern technology for a year turns into a fight for survival in this unputdownable young adult thriller by New York Times bestselling author Jarrod Shusterman and debut author Sofía Lapuente.

The Buried and the Bound by Rochelle Hassan
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
A contemporary fantasy YA debut from Rochelle Hassan about monsters, magic, and wicked fae, perfect for fans of The Darkest Part of the Forest and The Hazel Wood.

Friday I’m in Love by Camryn Garrett
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
It’s too late for a Sweet Sixteen, but what if Mahalia had a coming-out party? A love letter to romantic comedies, sweet sixteen blowouts, Black joy, and queer pride.

Brighter Than the Moon by David Valdes
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Lauded writer David Valdes offers a heartfelt, clever, and thought-provoking story about how we figure out who we want to be–online and IRL–for fans of David Levithan and Adam Silvera.

Unseelie by Ivelisse Housman
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Twin sisters, both on the run, but different as day and night. One, a professional rogue, searches for a fabled treasure; the other, a changeling, searches for the truth behind her origins, trying to find a place to fit in with the realm of fae who made her and the humans who shun her. 

City of Nightmares by Rebecca Schaeffer
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Gotham meets Strange the Dreamer in this thrilling young adult fantasy about a cowardly girl who finds herself at the center of a criminal syndicate conspiracy, in a city where crooked politicians and sinister cults reign and dreaming means waking up as your worst nightmare.

The Love Match by Priyanka Taslim
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To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before meets Pride and Prejudice in this delightful and heartfelt rom-com about a Bangladeshi American teen whose meddling mother arranges a match to secure their family’s financial security—just as she’s falling in love with someone else.

The Davenports by Krystal Marquis
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The Davenports delivers a totally escapist, swoon-worthy romance while offering a glimpse into a period of African American history often overlooked.

Chain of Thorns by Cassandra Clare
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James and Cordelia must save London—and their marriage—in this thrilling and highly anticipated conclusion to the Last Hours series from the #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Cassandra Clare. Chain of Thorns is a Shadowhunters novel.

Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amélie Wen Zhao
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In a fallen kingdom, one girl carries the key to discovering the secrets of her nation’s past—and unleashing the demons that sleep at its heart. An epic fantasy series inspired by the mythology and folklore of ancient China.

FEBRUARY

The Headmaster’s List by Melissa de la Cruz
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Set against the glitz and glamour of an elite LA private school, Melissa de la Cruz’s first YA thriller is an addictive mystery perfect for fans of Gossip Girl and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.

The Wicked Bargain by Gabe Cole Novoa
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El Diablo is in the details in this Latinx pirate fantasy starring a transmasculine nonbinary teen with a mission of revenge, redemption, and revolution.

This Time It’s Real by Ann Liang
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Get ready to fall in love in this hilarious romcom about a girl who begins a fake relationship with the famous actor in her class, perfect for fans of Meg Cabot and Jenny Han.

My Flawless Life by Yvonne Woon
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Yvonne Woon, author of If You, Then Me, has crafted a slow-burn thriller about fixing—our friends, ourselves, and our complicated pasts. For fans of Allegedly and We Were Liars, My Flawless Life features a compelling narrator who grapples with the secrets of her private school classmates as well as her own life.

Revelle by Lyssa Mia Smith
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Inspired by Moulin Rouge! and set on an island in a magical version of Prohibition-era New York, Revelle is a breathtaking YA stand-alone fantasy full of dazzling magic, romance, and mystery from debut author Lyssa Mia Smith.

Out of Character by Jenna Miller
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Dumplin’ meets Geekerella in debut author Jenna Miller’s queer, body-positive love story that explores online and offline relationships in all of their messiness.

Lola at Last by J. C. Peterson
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This Pride and Prejudice–inspired tale, a companion to J. C. Peterson’s Being Mary Bennet, spins a modern Lydia Bennet’s life into a tumultuous and hilarious coming-of-age journey, complete with misadventures, misunderstandings, mayhem, and a romance worthy of Darcy and Elizabeth themselves. 

She Is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran
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A House with a terrifying appetite haunts a broken family in this atmospheric horror, perfect for fans of Mexican Gothic.

When You Wish Upon a Lantern by Gloria Chao
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Acclaimed author Gloria Chao creates real-world magic in this luminous romance about teens who devote themselves to granting other people’s wishes but are too afraid to let themselves have their own hearts’ desires—each other.

Chaos Theory by Nic Stone
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The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martin delivers a gripping romance about two teens: a certified genius living with a diagnosed mental illness and a politician’s son who is running from his own addiction and grief. Don’t miss this gut punch of a novel about mental illness, loss, and discovering you are worthy of love.

Imposter Syndrome and Other Confessions of Alejandra Kim by Patricia Park
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The award-winning author of Re Jane makes her young adult debut in a funny, poignant, and powerful novel about a multicultural teen struggling to fit into her whitewashed school, her diverse Queens neighborhood, and even her own home as her family reels from the loss of her father.

Nightbirds by Kate J. Armstrong
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In a dazzling new fantasy world full of whispered secrets and political intrigue, the magic of women is outlawed but four girls with unusual powers have the chance to change it all.

MARCH

Rosewood: A Midsummer Meet Cute by Sayantani DasGupta
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New York Times bestselling Sayantani DasGupta brings her trademark wit and insight to this bright and funny Sense and Sensibility retelling!

Made of Stars by Jenna Voris
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Inspired by the lawless love story of Bonnie and Clyde, Jenna Voris’s heart-stopping tale of passion and crime will have you seeing stars.

Dear Medusa by Olivia A. Cole
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This searing and intimate novel in verse follows a sixteen-year-old girl coping with sexual abuse as she grapples with how to reclaim her story, her anger, and her body in a world that seems determined to punish her for the sin of surviving.

Study Break: 11 College Tales from Orientation to Graduation
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Study Break, a collection of interconnected contemporary Young Adult short stories written by Gen Z authors, explores different parts of “the college experience,” from questioning your major to questioning your identity.

Belle of the Ball by Mari Costa
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A young adult graphic novel about high school wallflower Belle Hawkins, who ends up in a love triangle after tutoring the girlfriend of her crush.

Flowerheart by Catherine Bakewell
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Perfect for fans of Margaret Rogerson and Tamora Pierce, this standalone YA debut is a stunning cottagecore fantasy romance about a girl with powerful and violent magic, which she must learn to control—or lose everything she loves.

Stars and Smoke by Marie Lu
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
The Hating Game meets Mission: Impossible in this smoldering new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu about a superstar tapped to become a secret agent and the reluctant young spy assigned to be his partner.

Midnight Strikes by Zeba Shahnaz
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In this explosive fantasy debut, a provincial girl must work with an infuriatingly handsome prince to escape a nightmarish curse that forces them to relive the same night over and over.

The Memory Eater by Rebecca Mahoney
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A teenage girl must save her town from a memory-devouring monster in this piercing exploration of grief, trauma, and memory, from the author of The Valley and the Flood.

Royal Blood by Aimée Carter
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An American girl becomes the British Monarchy’s greatest nightmare in this thrilling new series where royal scandals just got deadlier.

There Goes the Neighborhood by Jade Adia
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A raised fist against the destructive forces of gentrification and a love letter to communities of color everywhere, Jade Adia’s unforgettable debut tells the darkly hilarious story of three best friends willing to do whatever it takes to stay together.

Into The Light by Mark Oshiro
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For fans of Courtney Summers and Tiffany D. Jackson, Into the Light is a ripped-from-the-headlines story with Oshiro’s signature mix of raw emotions and visceral prose―but with a startling twist you’ll have to read to believe.

APRIL

An Improbable Season by Rosalyn Eves
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For fans of Bridgerton, a Regency romance by Rosalyn Eves about three young women, their big dreams, and a London Season gone awry.

A Hunger of Thorns by Lili Wilkinson
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Be swept away by a lush, witchy tale about forbidden magic and missing girls who don’t need handsome princes to rescue them. Perfect for fans of The Hazel Wood.

Forget Me Not by Alyson Derrick
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Perfect for fans of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Five Feet Apart, this tender solo debut by the coauthor of New York Times bestseller She Gets the Girl is a romantic ode to the strength of love and the power of choosing each other, against odds and obstacles, again and again.

This Delicious Death by Kayla Cottingham
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From the author of the New York Times bestselling My Dearest Darkest comes another incredible sapphic horror. When four best friends with a hunger for human flesh attend a music festival in the desert they discover a murderous plot to expose and vilify the girls and everyone like them. This summer is going to get gory.

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
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When two young rival journalists find love through a magical connection, they must face the depths of hell, in a war among gods, to seal their fate forever.

If I See You Again Tomorrow by Robbie Couch
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From the author of The Sky Blues and Blaine for the Win comes a speculative young adult romance about a teen stuck in a time loop that’s endlessly monotonous until he meets the boy of his dreams.

Never Vacation with Your Ex by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka
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The Summer I Turned Pretty meets People We Meet on Vacation in a YA second chance romance from fan-favorite author couple #Wibbroka!

Pieces of Me by Kate McLaughlin
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The next gut-punching, compulsively readable Kate McLaughlin novel, about a girl finding strength in not being alone.

The Other Side of Infinity by Joan F. Smith
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They Both Die at the End meets The Butterfly Effect in this YA novel by Joan F. Smith, where a teen uses her gift of foreknowledge to help a lifeguard save a drowning man—only to discover that her actions have suddenly put his life at risk.

Queen Bee by Amalie Howard
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A teen girl seeking retribution against her backstabbing former best friend finds her plans slightly derailed once she catches the eye of a familiar, handsome marquess. Bestselling author Amalie Howard delivers a delightful, anti-historical Regency-era romp that’s Bridgerton meets The Count of Monte Cristo!

That Self-Same Metal by Brittany N. Williams
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A stunning YA fantasy debut, perfect for fans of Holly Black and Justina Ireland, about a Black girl (and sword expert) fighting a Fae uprising in Shakespearean London.

Silver In The Bone by Alexandra Bracken
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#1 New York Times bestselling author Alexandra Bracken cements her status as one of the top fantasy authors writing today in this stunning series opener inspired by Arthurian legend and fueled by love, revenge, and pure adrenaline!

MAY

If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come by Jen St. Jude
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We Are Okay meets They Both Die at the End in this YA debut about queer first love and mental health at the end of the world-and the importance of saving yourself, no matter what tomorrow may hold.

The Alchemy of Moonlight by David Ferraro
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The Alchemy of Moonlight by David Ferraro is a seductive YA paranormal romance following a runaway queer teen’s deepening and dangerous ties to a mysterious family of werewolves.

Nigeria Jones by Ibi Zoboi
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From Ibi Zoboi, bestselling, award-winning author of American Street and co-author of Punching the Air, comes a bold new YA coming-of-age story, which explores race, feminism, and complicated family dynamics, about a girl whose father is the leader of a Black liberation group. The ideal next read for fans of Roxane Gay, Jacqueline Woodson, and Elizabeth Acevedo.

They Hate Each Other by Amanda Woody
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Jonah and Dylan get along like oil and water. Until a fake dating ploy gives them new perspective, and they realize that “falling for your enemy” isn’t as impossible as it seems.

Something Like Possible by Miel Moreland
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In this compelling YA contemporary from author Miel Moreland, a bisexual teen’s path to political staffer stardom is in jeopardy, until she convinces a cute new candidate to team up with her on the campaign trail.

I Like Me Better by Robby Weber
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I Like Me Better is joyful  queer summer romance from the author of If You Change Your Mind.

Court of the Undying Seasons by A.M. Strickland
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Sarah J. Maas meets A Deadly Education in A.M. Strickland’s lush, queer YA dark fantasy novel. Court of the Undying Seasons is a deliciously dark romantic novel and a pitch perfect modern take on classic vampire tropes.

No Perfect Places by Steven Salvatore
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From lauded author Steven Salvatore comes a moving YA novel about twins whose incarcerated father dies and leaves behind a life-changing secret, perfect for fans of I’ll Give You the Sun and Euphoria.

Only This Beautiful Moment by Abdi Nazemian
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
From the Stonewall Honor–winning author of Like a Love Story comes a sweeping story of three generations of boys in the same Iranian family. Perfect for fans of Last Night at the Telegraph Club and Darius the Great Is Not Okay.

Secret of the Moon Conch by David Bowles and Guadalupe García McCall
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Award-winning authors David Bowles and Guadalupe García McCall join forces to craft a sweeping fantasy romance about falling in love despite all odds.

When the Vibe Is Right by Sarah Dass
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From the author of Where the Rhythm Takes You comes a delightful enemies-to-lovers contemporary romance set during Trinidad’s Carnival celebration.

In Nightfall by Suzanne Young
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In the quaint town of Nightfall, Oregon, it isn’t the dark you should be afraid of—it’s the girls. The Lost Boys meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer in this propulsive novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Treatment.

JUNE

Threads That Bind by Kika Hatzopoulou
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In a world where the children of the gods inherit their powers, a descendant of the Greek Fates must solve a series of impossible murders to save her sisters, her soulmate, and her city.

Wolfpack by Amelia Brunskill
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Perfect for fans of We Were Liars, Wolfpack is an unforgettable and unputdownable novel that will hold you breathless all the way to its shocking finale.

Kismat Connection by Ananya Devarajan
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In this charming YA debut, a girl who’s determined to prove her star chart wrong ropes her longtime best friend into an experimental relationship—not knowing that he has been in love with her for years.

Sing Me to Sleep by Gabi Burton
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In this dark and seductive YA fantasy debut, a siren must choose between protecting her family and following her heart in a prejudiced kingdom where her existence is illegal.

Some Shall Break by Ellie Marney
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This sequel to the New York Times bestselling None Shall Sleep is an equally electrifying, chilling thriller that brings us back into the lives of junior FBI consultants Travis Bell and Emma Lewis with a new case that may unravel everything they’ve been working for.

You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron
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At Camp Mirror Lake, terror is the name of the game . . . but can you survive the night? This heart-pounding slasher by New York Times bestselling author Kalynn Bayron is perfect for fans of Fear Street.

Ride or Die by Gail-Agnes Musikavanhu
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Gail-Agnes Musikavanhu’s adrenaline-packed joyride of a debut is an ode to Gen Z and chaotic teens—perfect for fans of Grace D. Li, Ebony Ladelle, and Baby Driver.

Invisible Son by Kim Johnson
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From the award-winning and critically acclaimed author of This Is My America comes another thriller about a wrongly accused teen desperate to recclaim both his innocence and his first love.

Always Isn’t Forever by J.C. Cervantes
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From New York Times bestselling author J.C. Cervantes comes a sparkling, unforgettable YA romance, perfect for fans of You’ve Reached Sam.

Plus One by Kelsey Rodkey
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Fans of Emma Lord and Rachel Lynn Solomon will revel in Kelsey Rodkey’s latest swoon-worthy YA rom-com as self-proclaimed matchmaker Lahey finally puts her own heart on the line—to find a date in just one week.

The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A pun-filled YA contemporary romance, The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar finds a teenage girl competing in a televised baking competition, with contestants including her ex-girlfriend and a potential new crush – perfect for fans of The Great British Bake Off and She Drives Me Crazy!

Borrow My Heart by Kasie West
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When a girl overhears a guy getting verbally destroyed by his friends for being catfished, she jumps in to save the day—and pretends to be his online crush. A young adult romance from the critically acclaimed author of Places We’ve Never Been.

What YA releases are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

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Foreshadow is comprised of 13 short stories, edited and compiled by NYT best-selling authors Emily X. R. Pan (The Astonishing Color of After) and Nova Ren Suma (The Walls Around Us), but it is also so much more. The stories, which differ in genre (from contemporary romance to fantasy and even horror) are written by up and coming YA voices and introduced by a powerhouse YA writer. Not only that, but each story is accompanied by a short essay by either Emily or Nova about the writing craft: character connection, creepy atmosphere, emotional resonance, imagery, mood, voice, worldbuilding, and more. There are even story prompts to challenge aspiring writers to dig a little deeper on their own ideas, practise what they learnt from these authors, and ultimately grow their own story into something real. It’s essential for those who love the genre and those who are aspiring writers!

When Emily and Nova decided to create this project, they were sure that they wanted to bring out new voices, especially marginalised ones. They wanted to discover new and unknown authors and give them the proper space and medium to be heard. The project started as an online platform where thirty-nine authors had the chance to see their stories published. So, the website, besides the stories found on the physical collection, also features some YA authors that you may already know.

The short stories have the perfect length and are very diverse in terms of genre and character backgrounds. Even if each story has something unique and magical, they all flow together so beautifully that there isn’t a story that I wouldn’t have included; it really is a very cohesive collection. All these stories have something that’s worth reading, even the ones that take a bit of a weird turn (things do get weird sometimes!). However, giving a review of each short story would give away too much, and on this occasion, it’s best to go into it blindly. You must know though, that each new voice is powerful and the storytelling is so wonderful. You will definitely want to read more from these 13 authors: Adriana Marachlian, Desiree S. Evans, Flor Salcedo, Gina Chen, Joanna Truman, Linda Cheng, Maya Prasad, Mayra Cuevas, Nora Elghazzawi, Rachel Hylton, Sophie Meridien, Tanvi Berwah, and Tanya S. Aydelott.

However, what really makes the book are the clear and concise essays written by either Emily or Nova. Through their eyes, the reader gets to see what made each story poignant, as well as why they chose each story for the collection and the reason why we feel certain things whilst reading these stories, feelings that maybe we hadn’t even acknowledged! You get to see the little details, the ins and outs of the writing craft.

What’s also interesting about this collection is that it even offers an extensive Q&A about the editing process as well as a section at the end which introduces the editors and the authors of the short stories. Thus giving us more background about who they are, how each of them approached the writing of their story, and how they came to each of these stories, i.e. the “original seed” of their ideas.

Foreshadow is an ode to YA and the magical art that is storytelling. This short story collection will be a valuable read not only for aspiring writers, but for other readers (YA lovers or not) who want to dig a little deeper into the craft or some stories to connect with. Ultimately, in the words of its creators, Foreshadow “is a testament to all the diverse, inclusive stories that young adult fiction has to offer.”

FORESHADOW: Stories to Celebrate The Magic of Reading & Writing YA is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of October 20th 2020.

Will you be picking up Foreshadow? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

Thirteen Short Stories from Bold New YA Voices & Writing Advice from YA Icons

Created by New York Times bestselling authors Emily X. R. Pan and Nova Ren Suma, Foreshadow is so much more than a short story collection. A trove of unforgettable fiction makes up the beating heart of this book, and the accompanying essays offer an ode to young adult literature, as well as practical advice to writers.

Featured in print for the first time, the thirteen stories anthologized here were originally released via the buzzed-about online platform Foreshadow. Ranging from contemporary romance to mind-bending fantasy, the Foreshadow stories showcase underrepresented voices and highlight the beauty and power of YA fiction. Each piece is selected and introduced by a YA luminary, among them Gayle Forman, Laurie Halse Anderson, Jason Reynolds, and Sabaa Tahir.

What makes these memorable stories tick? What sparked them? How do authors build a world or refine a voice or weave in that deliciously creepy atmosphere to bring their writing to the next level? Addressing these questions and many more are essays and discussions on craft and process by Nova Ren Suma and Emily X. R. Pan.

This unique compilation reveals and celebrates the magic of reading and writing for young adults.

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