Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Hello, Alice . . .


Leap Books Proudly Unveils the Cover for the Highly Anticipated Alice-inspired Anthology

BEWARE THE LITTLE WHITE RABBIT

 

 
Come Celebrate the 150th Anniversary of Lewis Carroll’s classic,

ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND

Join Leap Books on this curious exploration of madness, tea parties,


Our select group of talented authors are united by their passion for all things Alice and will delight you with their take on what really happened down the rabbit hole.
BEWARE THE LITTLE WHITE RABBIT releases on April 14, 2015.

Our menagerie of tale-spinners includes:

Laura Lascarso - Charlotte Bennardo - C. Lee McKenzie - Christine Norris - David Turnbull -
Jacqueline Horsfall - Medeia Sharif - Tom Luke - Jessica Bayliss - Crystal Schubert - Holly Odell -
Jennifer Moore - Liam Hogan
 




 

Friday, December 19, 2014

Holiday Deals!


This holiday season, LEAP BOOKS will give its readers another reason to celebrate by dropping most of their eBook prices down to $2.99 each, with Lending enabled. Most LEAP titles are also now part of Amazon’s MatchBook program, therefore, placing most of the LEAP MatchBooks FREE, for a limited time.

So what does this mean, exactly? MatchBook is an Amazon Kindle-only program that ‘offers customers who purchase, or have previously purchased a print book from Amazon.com, the option to purchase the Kindle version of that title for $2.99 or less.’ It’s an offer no book lover can refuse—owning a title in BOTH print and eBook formats.

While most LEAP BOOKS titles are currently free, this is the perfect time to take advantage of a great read (or two, or three) and explore other titles LEAP has to offer without breaking your holiday budget. Visit LEAP BOOKS at http://leapbks.net (http://leapbks.net/) and for a preview of our Young Adult and Middle Grade titles.

Happy Holidays from LEAP BOOKS!

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

SKIN OF MY TEETH Cover Reveals


 

SKIN OF MY TEETH (SKINNED Book 3) by Judith Graves
VOLUME REVEALS!


    

EBOOK VOLUME RELEASE DATES

SOMT Volume 1 – December 23, 2014

SOMT Volume 2 – April 28, 2015

SOMT Volume 3 – August 25, 2015

SOMT Full Novel – November 24, 2015

SUMMARY:  

HOW TO PLAY

· draw a card from the deck
· kill or be killed
· and if you’re lucky, repeat…

Hidden agendas, deep, dark secrets, and monsters lurking around every locker. It’s business as usual at Redgrave High for Eryn and her crew of paranorm hunters – they plan to capture and cure Brit’s brother from his tormented existence, Eryn is reunited with her father’s beta, and Redgrave’s origins are revealed.

Although the two guys vying for Eryn’s heart just might have to up their game. Enter hot, wolven guy stage left. Is he the one Alec’s blood magic foretold? He is, if Eryn’s knocking pulse has anything to say about it. The tale-tell sound is driving Wade mad. But it’s Eryn’s move, and everyone is holding their breath.

A little healthy competition soon becomes all-out survival of the fittest as the crew are pitted against a pack of demons trading souls – for keeps. The student population is enamored with a new card game, Boroughs Quest. Kids are desperate to get their hands on gilded cards from a mysterious expansion deck, but when they do…

It’s all fun and games ’til somebody dies. 

 
 
Skin of My Teeth is finally ready to rumble and we wanted to make it a fun, interactive experience. We decided to release it in three ebook volumes that will be compiled into a final, full novel – ultimately released in both ebook and paperback. In this book, Eryn and her crew battle against a pack of demons working through specific cards used in a trading card game. Here’s where the interactive stuff comes in. With the launch of each volume, some wonderful bloggers will release a virtual copy of a card that YOU can use to unlock extra scenes. We will also include a card at the end of each ebook volume.

Therefore, in total you can potentially access six additional scenes. Best part about these extras? They’re not told from Eryn’s point of view. Nope. You’ll be drawn into Wade’s mind, feel the emotions Alec has brewing for Eryn….from HIS side of the story, and discover a few secrets along the way.

So get in the game and get under the skin of not just Eryn…but other key characters in the world of Redgrave!

Announcements and reminders will be made prior the launch of each ebook volume on the Leap Books Facebook page as well by participating bloggers and Leap Books!

 


Judith Graves has multiple young adult novels and short stories published with Leap Books, Orca Book Publishers, Compass Press, and, under the pen name, Judith Tewes, is also published with Bloomsbury Spark. In addition, Judith is an award-winning screenwriter and playwright, writes freelance articles for literary magazines, and facilitates writing workshops for both adults and young adults. She lives in northern Alberta with her husband and three crazy labs.

Stalk Judith at:





Twitter: @judithgraves


 
 

Catch up on Books 1 & 2 in the SKINNED SERIES!

 
 
 

 
Praise for the SKINNED Series!
 “Eyrn is a very snarky, stubborn character who isn’t afraid to fight her worst nightmares. There is some great tension in two hot, bad boys that Eryn is torn between.” ~ Mundie Moms

“Smart, sassy and more than a little scary, Second Skin hits all the right notes. I adored reading about Eyn and her attempts to deal with her life!” ~ Amanda Ashby

…fans of paranormal YA fiction will appreciate a protagonist with attitude and anticipate the next volume…” ~ CM Magazine on UNDER MY SKIN by @judithgraves

 

Friday, November 7, 2014

MEET OUR INTERNS!

 
That's right! Leap Books has added some helping hands to our roster and we're super excited!
 
From diving into the slush pile, to marketing our amazing 2015 catalogue, to making sure we're heard on social media --- these gals are the real deal!
 
EDITORIAL INTERN – Heather Elia 
Heather Elia has been in love with books since the age of 4, when her parents cleverly realized that the best way to keep a curious, strong-willed little girl occupied was to teach her to read. This passion for the written word eventually led to part-time jobs (in a book-bindery and a library) and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Cornell University. Heather has spent most of her adult years working in college bookstores but is now branching out to pursue other opportunities in the world of books. She lives in upstate New York in a drafty, creaking, 140-year-old (disappointingly un-haunted) farmhouse with her husband and more books than she can ever hope to read in one lifetime.
 
PUBLICITY INTERN – April Hamrick
April lives in Arkansas and four days a week tends to live as a vampire sleeping by day and baking by night. Young Adult genre is her escape and craves the fantasy and thriller worlds. When April isn’t working or sleeping she enjoys searching the internet for new ways to spread the word about books. One of those ways is through her blog, Written to Our Hearts. She originally started blogging in 2009.
April is thrilled about her opportunity to work for Leap Books. She has long wanted to work for a publishing house and she is looking forward to finding ways to bring some wonderful books to the fore front. In addition to sharing the news of books April is an introvert, TV and movie fanatic, and has a major sweet tooth.
 SOCIAL MEDIA INTERN – Tanya Contois
Tanya Contois started out as a blogger and book reviewer in 2008. She now spends her time reading, reviewing books, listening to music, and hanging out with her mom and cat. She also writes a weekly recap of Once Upon a Time for the website Geeks Unleashed.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Monday, October 6, 2014

Our MONSTER BACKLIST BASH Winners!


 
We had an overwhelming response to last night's
MONSTER BACKLIST BASH!
 
Without further ado, we are happy to announce the winners of our contest! You will each be notified by email and your prizes will be sent out to you!
 
Enjoy!
 
 
 
 
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/1d75e57c3/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway


 
 

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

BURIED SECRETS ~ DEADLY LIES: DEEP IN THE MEADOWS Blog Tour


During the flurry of questions, a coolness brushes my skin, and the lights flicker. I turn toward the mirror and focus on the dark spot in the corner. My heart contracts in fear. Blood rushes to my head, causing the room to spin, and I tune out the lieutenant as the darkness in the mirror forms into someone.
                                                      Someone I know. Jimmy.
                                                             ~ DEEP IN THE MEADOWS
 
 

 
 
Lisa M. Cronkhite's thriller, DEEP IN THE MEADOWS, Blog Tour is ongoing!
Check out our scheduled tour stops listed below for more insight into this Young Adult Mystery
and enter the Giveaway!
But wait! We love this book so much we've decided to add EXTRA tour stops!
Follow LEAP BOOKS on Facebook so you won't miss a thing!
 

Title: Deep in the Meadows
Author: Lisa M. Cronkhite
Genre: Mystery/Suspense Thriller
Pages: 140
Bianca "Bee" Thompson's brother, Jimmy, has been dead for ten months, yet she still feels his presence lingering. And one question haunts her: Was Jimmy's death an accident?
Probing into the events on the night of Jimmy's death, Bee hears strange voices. The voices lead her to a blood-splattered room, a terrifying threat, and a deadly trap. Is Bee on the trail of her brother's murderer, or is she entangled in a totally different and much more diabolical plot?
 

Meet Lisa M. Cronhkite!
 
 
Midwest Author Lisa M. Cronkhite’s love for writing started when she was a teen, journaling of her torrid romance with her first boyfriend then and now husband of over two decades. She picked up writing again after her first bipolar episode and psychotic break when her doctor recommended it as a coping skill. Once again, with pencil in hand, Lisa dove herself into crafting poetry. Through the years, Lisa has published her poems in print and online magazines such as Poetry Repairs, Grey Sparrow Press, Sacramento Poetry Center, Poetry Salzburg Review and many more. Lisa also has short stories in magazines like Suspense Magazine and YA Fiction magazine Suddenly Lost in Words. 
Her novels include Dreaming a Reality, Demon Girl and Deep in the Meadows. Disconnected is her fourth novel. Lisa is currently working on her next novel, Purple Haze.
 
 
Want to follow Lisa? You can find her social media sites on her Leap Books Author Page!
 
Follow the Blog Tour!
September 15 
Long and Short Reviews
http://www.longandshortreviews.com 

Guest post
September 16
YA Book Madness
http://youngadultbookmadness.wordpress.com
Review
September 17
The Pen and Muse Book Reviews
http://thepenmuse.net
Interview
 
September 18
Book Groupies
http://bookgroupies2.blogspot.com
Guest post
 
September 19
Room With Books
http://roomwithbooks.com
Interview
September 22
The Midnight Society
midnightsocietytales.com
Review
 
September 23
Jen's Paranormal Adventures
www.paranormalYA.blogspot.com
Review
 
September 23
Tea Stained Books
teastainedreviews.wordpress.com
Review
 
September 24
Tammy's Tea Time
http://tammysteatime.blogspot.com
Review
 
September 25
What Is That Book About
www.whatisthatbookabout.com
Guest post
 
September 26
Dana's YA Bookpile
http://danasyabookpile.blogspot.com
Review
 
September 26
Words I Write Crazy
http://writingcrazyme.blogspot.com
Review
 
 
 
September 17
The Pen and Muse Book Reviews
http://thepenmuse.net
Interview
September 18
Book Groupies
http://bookgroupies2.blogspot.com
Guest post
September 19
Room With Books
http://roomwithbooks.com
Interview
September 22
The Midnight Society
midnightsocietytales.com
Review
September 23
Jen's Paranormal Adventures
www.paranormalYA.blogspot.com
Review
September 23
Tea Stained Books
teastainedreviews.wordpress.com
Review
September 24
Tammy's Tea Time
http://tammysteatime.blogspot.com
Review
September 25
What Is That Book About
www.whatisthatbookabout.com
Guest post
September 26
Dana's YA Bookpile
http://danasyabookpile.blogspot.com
Review
 

 

 

 
 

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

LEAP Down the Rabbit Hole with Us!

Next year marks an historic moment, the 150th anniversary of the publication of the classic story Alice's Adventures in Wonderland!

To celebrate how absolutely mad we are about this occasion, Leap Books, LLC will publish a special Alice-inspired anthology called BEWARE THE LITTLE WHITE RABBIT and you, yes, YOU are invited to the party!

Join a roster of well-loved authors writing new YA stories inspired by a classic tale. Submissions should be between 4,000-6,000 words in length, include a protagonist named Alice and a stuffed white rabbit whose
appearance signals the start of adventure. All YA genres are eligible.

Title, premise/elevator pitch, and your complete submission are due to LeapBks@gmail.com by midnight EST November 15. Authors should include ALICE in their email's heading.

The final lineup for the anthology will be announced December 15.

Authors whose stories are selected for inclusion in the BEWARE THE LITTLE WHITE RABBIT anthology and who meet revision requirements and associated deadlines will be paid a one-time fee of $50 USD.

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

LEAP BOOKS' JUDITH GRAVES: PNLA 2014 CONFERENCE

Our very own Judith Graves gives us a glimpse at her recent appearance, the PNLA 2014 Conference, where she was a keynote speaker during the Young Reader's Choice Awards (YRCA) program Author Luncheon.  

 
Pacific Northwest Library Association Conference 2014

 


Last week I was honoured to speak at the Pacific Northwest Library Association Annual Conference (PNLA) http://www.pnla.org/conference-header in Helena, Montana as a keynote during the Young Reader’s Choice Awards (YRCA) program Author Luncheon.  

This particular event was special to me for several reasons. In my day job, I work as a library technician in an elementary school library in a rural community and any chance for professional development, networking and talking shop with other library types is an opportunity I LEAP toward. (See what I did there?) Plus, I’m a huge fan of the YRCA program and have actively promoted it within my school for the eleven years I’ve been running the library.
 

 The Pacific Northwest Library Association's Young Reader's Choice Award is the oldest children's choice award in the U.S. and Canada. The award was established in 1940 by a Seattle bookseller, the late Harry Hartman, who believed every student should have an opportunity to select a book that gives him or her pleasure.”
 
 
1940. Wowza. Now that’s a long-standing award any author would be thrilled to be associated with. Check out the full details and list of 2015 nominees here: http://www.pnla.org/yrca-2015
 
 
YRCA is all about bridging the gap between libraries, readers and authors…which was basically the theme of my keynote - Author Visits To DIE For.  Complete with handy Prezi and video clips of virtual author visits in action, I discussed ways in which technology can provide free opportunities for libraries to link readers with authors and thus enhance their readership programs.  As both an author and a library technician, I hope I was able to offer some unique insights into what authors are currently doing that libraries can tap into to further their literacy / engagement / profiles.
 The PNLA conference theme: Mining the Past was threaded throughout the sessions and I (along with the other attendees) jotted down a ton of useful notes, lists of resources, and libraries to follow that I will be sharing with my district.  Many thanks to the conference organizers for inviting me and putting on one hell of a library conference!
You can tell my lab, Willow, enjoyed the sightseeing we did during the drive south.
 
 
 
 

 p

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Making Us LEAP for Joy: Leap Books, LLC Award Nominees

We are very proud to announce that even with the relatively small number of books currently to LEAP's name, three (yes THREE) of them have been nominated for the coveted 2014 Silver Falchion Award™

The Killer Nashville event which established and holds the Silver Falchion Award™ annually makes clear, "The purpose of the Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award™ is to honor the best books readily available to a North American audience in any format within the past year. The categories include both fiction and nonfiction."

LEAP BOOKS' Silver Falchion Award™ nominees include:


About the LEAP BOOKS Silver Falchion Award™ nominees:

Award-winning and bestselling author of TUNNEL VISION, Gary Braver says, “KILLER'S INSTINCT by Dawn Dalton and Judith Graves is a clever and fast-paced thriller that raises the bar for monster-hunting tales."

In bestselling author Maria V. Snyder's STORM WATCHER Luke Riley is lost. His mother’s recent death has set Luke and his family adrift. Even though his father, twin brothers, and their three bloodhounds are search-and-rescue volunteers, they have been unable to rescue themselves and become a family again. Luke's decision to go against his father's wishes may do much more than change the outcome of one summer--it may change all of their lives.

YA and MG author Patrice Lyle's nominated title THE CASE OF THE INVISIBLE WITCH features thirteen-year-old Tulip Bonnaire, Witch PI, who runs Spells & Spies out of her dorm room at Poison Ivy Charm School, a school for polite witches and warlocks. She has only 72 hours to figure out her latest case, or her classmate, Missy, will never be seen again. Literally. 

The Silver Falchion Award™ will be chosen by the conference attendees and announced at the awards banquet.

A big CONGRATULATIONS to our LEAP authors!

To learn more about the 2014 Silver Falchion Award™ nominees go HERE.

Friday, August 1, 2014

LEAPing Ahead: A New Leap for a Small Publishing House

In an age when self-publishing can bring a manuscript to life as a book in twenty-four hours and bloated publishing entities gobble each other up readily, small publishing houses face unique challenges--most not lasting any longer than the average small business. Even house lines can disappear in what feels like the blink of an eye leaving authors orphaned and struggling to regain the rights to their novels. But one small house is getting new life breathed into it through the efforts of a few popular young adult authors.

LEAP BOOKS LLC was founded in 2009 by literature lover Laurie Edwards. She, with the help of a handful of clever authors recovering from the recent death of a YA line at another small house, decided it was time to build their own. 

Things haven't been easy for LEAP. Within their first year their book distributor folded, leaving owner Edwards with a product she believed in but with no easy way to get it into the public's hands. Still, with great determination and the assistance of a few stalwart writers, LEAP continued forward. LEAP produced several young adult and middle grade titles each year and although they were well-received and the company attracted names like Maria V. Snyder (NYT Times Bestselling author and author of the recent Leap release STORM WATCHER) and more, still LEAP struggled to get the public attention it needed to thrive.  

"Let's face it," says author Shannon Delany (New York), "we live in a fickle world. Getting and holding the attention of a target audience--especially teens and twenty-somethings--is serious business. The market is flooded with YA novels. Everyone's heard that YA is this growing marketplace and folks think, "Well, I was a teen once--surely I could write something and reinvent myself."" 

While LEAP's owner was keeping the company going and reinventing herself by finishing her degree in children's illustration, longtime LEAP author Judith Graves (Alberta) was busy figuring out how she could make LEAP the house it deserved to be. Well aware of the consumability of modern literature, Graves decided to officially join Leap and run SHINE, a line focused on edgy YA and NA e-novellas.

When Delany opened her mouth on Facebook and suggested she was toying with the idea of founding her own boutique publishing house, Graves contacted her and suggested she come aboard SHINE. Having known Graves since their time together as part of the Class of 2k10 (a joint marketing group for debut authors) Delany had no doubt in Graves' capabilities. "The girl is Wonder Woman," Delany says of Graves. "Forget Gal Gadot in the Batman vs Superman movie, Judith Graves is the real deal."

The two began to formulate a plan but, in the midst of their plotting, Graves suddenly asked to give Delany a call. "Judith never calls me. She's in Canada, I'm in upstate New York... We're Facebook friends. Who needs the phone?" Delany knew then that something big was up.

She was right. When LEAP's owner heard Delany was coming on to work with Graves she suggested they take over the entire company. 

"Everything changed," Delany admits. "I had been offered a line with a well-respected small house before, and had just watched yet another house close its doors on the YA line Strange Chemistry. A student of my workshops had recently self-published his novel and won a national award for it. Meanwhile my agent was submitting my manuscripts to a much larger house. Just the idea of it all in that sort of context required sea legs of sorts."

Delany talked it over with her husband and a few family members and decided to take a leap of faith. In short order she became the owner of the company and moved it to New York state. "Then the madness began," she says. "We were in this crazy and fluid state of existence during the transfer--trying to get access to everything we needed, bring the right people on, and figure out how and when to tell the authors."

Delany and Graves quickly agreed that what LEAP needed was a better presence in the market. "I sent author and YA Fest organizer Jennifer Murgia (Pennsylvania) a cryptic message asking her to give me a call. I asked her to be our Director of Marketing and it caught her off guard. She said she thought maybe I was going to invite her to write a story for an anthology I had dreamed up--that she had never imagined this."

Within twenty-four hours Murgia had agreed to accept the title of Marketing Director. "I also suggested bringing someone in who could handle the finances and sort out the craziness of authors and royalties," Delany says, "so we brought on William Gee as CFO. We're keeping Kat O'Shea as a Senior Editor during the transition and rounding out the marketing team with the accomplished Elana Johnson (previously of Entangled Publishing). By expanding our team we can focus on what we're best at and provide support to each other as needed." 

Delany, Graves, and Murgia debated when and how to tell the already contracted authors there was a change in both ownership and management, and, with Edwards' help, released two letters in quick succession, the first from Edwards and the second from the new team. "I knew there would be questions. Authors are curious folks--we build our careers around two important words: What If? So we arranged to have two private online chats with authors, editors, and illustrators to introduce ourselves and field questions. I think that's one of the advantages small houses have: accessibility. You have the professionalism of a bigger house but the comfort of a cozy home. You can get to know everyone if you try."

Why will LEAP BOOKS succeed? "Well, I can't give all our secrets away," Delany teases, "but I can tell you this: we have passionate team, a nice backlist, and a clear vision that includes pursuing opportunities in the market that have been traditionally overlooked or viewed as out of reach for small houses. Laurie gave us a great foundation to build our house on. We're forging ahead with SHINE's e-novellas, rebranding both our YA novel line SURGE, and our MG line, and occasionally opening submissions to unagented writers. We are focused on not only continuing to improve the quality of our books and better define our brand, but also we're aware that for authors to thrive and keep producing quality work they require proper care and feeding--we're like any other creative monsters. Each step along the way as we develop, we're LEAPing forward... together."


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