Last night I shared the stage with four talented YA authors in an Open Mic Night sponsored by CamCat Publishing. The format included each of us reading a short passage from our books, answering questions from the audience, and an engaging open discussion. It was a wonderful time. Don’t worry if you missed it live – it’s been recorded for posterity.
Video of the Chat
So if you want to here the melodious sound of our voices (and that of our wonderful moderator Bridget McFadden), the video is now available on CamCat’s YouTube channel.
That’s Not All – If you purchase any of the featured titles directly through CamCat Publishing and enter the promo code “YA25” you’ll receive a 25% discount on your purchase. The discount is good for all formats (Hardcover, Paperback, Large Print, & Ebook) and for as many books as you’d like to purchase. This offer is good through next Thursday (4 March 2021).
Please read through the brief descriptions of each book below. Clicking on the title will take you directly to the book’s CamCat Publishing page where you can learn more and finalize your purchase. Remember enter the discount code “YA25” for big savings.
As always thanks for reading.
Description of The Other Side of Water by Erika Espinoza
A teen boy’s story of navigating grief and lost magic, for fans of Paola Santiago and the River of Tears by Tehlor Kay Mejia and Race to the Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse.
Zeke Grayson feels so alone. He lost his mom and his home in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert after a hit-and-run. Now he’s stuck living with his estranged father in wintery Illinois, where he has exactly zero ties to his Mexica heritage and the only family he has ever known.
Furious with his dad for thinking he should just “get over” his mom’s death and stop causing trouble at school, Zeke runs away to a local lake. Watching the water has helped him calm down before, but this time his grief for his mom is too much. It unlocks a magic he didn’t know he possessed, and he passes into a world on the other side of the water. This world is under attack by a slithering serpentine race known as the Gyrazú that can track people through the rivers and travel through them too quickly to avoid.
Zeke narrowly avoids capture thanks to Naya, Thain, and Callie—members of the Menewa who can teach him how to use his newfound ability to heal with magic and bring him closer to the truth about his parents’ secret ties to this world. As the friends race both the Gyrazú and hidden traitors to stop a cataclysmic attack, Zeke must navigate both his grief and his magic or else risk drowning in both.
Description of Infinity Drive by Ross Rochdale
A sci-fi story of discrimination and a crew of outcasts out to change their world. To overcome intolerance, she’ll have to stay true to her history—and her heart.
But there is another reason the IMPACT wants to capture Brittany: She is the carrier of a transmitting device that emits a signal to her human ancestor Alessandra McLean, captain of the galactic cruiser Strabo. As Brittany and her small crew of outcasts escape to space aboard the Strabo, guided by the holographic memory of Alessandra, they discover that beyond the stars, an even greater enemy lurks.
Description of The Brighter the Stars by Bryan Prosek
Caught between love and revenge, Jake has one chance to live up to the man his uncle was while escorting his best friend’s sister to an ambassadorship in a far-off planet.
Jake Saunders became a Legion soldier to honor the memory of his war hero uncle, who was brutally murdered in front of him when he was still a young teen. Fast forward a few years, and Jake and his best friend Cal have been tasked with escorting Cal’s older sister Diane to become Earth’s ambassador on a far-off planet. It’s the opportunity of Diane’s career, very likely a lifetime post. But for Jake, that could mean a lifetime’s heartbreak. He has loved Diane since they were kids, and every step closer to that ambassador assignment is a step closer to goodbye.
But somebody is after more than Earth’s defense, and Jake, Cal, and Diane are on a trajectory to crash headlong into that dangerous plot. Somebody wants to play Earth against its most immediate threat, Craton, and convince both to develop super weapons—and he’s working with the person who killed Jake’s uncle all those years ago. When he reappears on Jake, Cal, and Diane’s journey to the ambassadorship, Jake is faced with difficult choices to look out for his friends and honor his uncle’s memory.
Description of The Immortal Twin by D. B. Woodling
Celeste Torok lives an ordinary life, aside from her immortal parents, a paranormal romance, and the future of the human race depending on her.
When Nick’s rebellious ways place Celeste in danger, she is forced to seek safety in the Midwest. As if the familial alienation isn’t enough, she’s tormented by her forbidden desire for Tristan, the supreme warrior of her parents’ coalition, the Realm. With her future uncertain and her past shattered, she follows in her biological father’s footsteps and joins law enforcement.
As lead investigator on several bizarre child abduction cases, Celeste soon discovers that bullets and modern weaponry will not stop these criminals, and that a war is brewing between the Realm and renegade vampires. Celeste joins Tristan, her family, and the rest of the Realm to destroy the renegade vampires once and for all.
Description of Penny Preston and the Raven’s Talisman by Armen Pogharian
Eighth grader Penny Preston must embrace her special powers when dangerous higher-dimensional beings threaten to invade Piper Falls.
Together with Simon, her telepathic multi-dimensional cat, Penny struggles to save her relationship with her best friend, protect her universe, and uncover her connection to Arthurian myth.