To celebrate Canadian book week, we're featuring our Canadian authors and illustrators.
TAKE 2--
Next up is our award-winning, Canadian graphic artist, Val Cox...
Val is responsible for the cool and edgy designs in two of our paranormal books, Freaksville and Under My Skin. Watch for more of Val's work in upcoming books.
Don't forget to stop by Borders in Turlock, CA, between 2-4 pm to hear Kitty Keswick read from her novel, Freaksville. Books will be available for purchase and autographing.
In addition to hearing Freaksville excerpts, you'll get a chance to see the exciting illustrations by Canadian graphic artist, Val Cox.
This is Kasey Maxwell, the heroine of Freaksville. ------->
Author Judith Graves is going black, black, black this weekend. These two huge walls have been painted black in her honor. And this corner of a coffee house will be the scene of a graveyard, complete with crows and roses.
A goth dream...or nightmare, as the case may be.
So break out the black eyeliner and lipstick and head on over to the party. Everyone's invited--goth or not.
WHEN: April 24, 2010
WHERE: BeanTrees coffee house 5112 50 St
Cold Lake AB, T9M 1X2
WHO: Mural created by Lauri Ansell, based on illustrations within Under My Skin (UMS), created by Val Cox
WHY: To celebrate the launch of UMS written by author Judith Graves
Ta, da! The finished product. And if you're curious about the original art on which this was based, here are some of the great illustrations by Val Cox that Lauri used.
If you can't get to Cold Lake, Alberta, this weekend--or even if you can--you can enjoy seeing these pictures of a work in progress. Even better, watch it unfold via vlog. And meet Judith and Lauri in person.
So if you're into the paranormal, love werewolves, vamps, sprites, and other beasts that haunt graveyards, Bean Trees is the place to be this Saturday night. Great music, stuff to eat and drink, and lots of paranorms roaming the crowd...
Although we've experienced production delays for Under My Skin (UMS), author Judith Graves is hard at work prepping for her launch party now rescheduled for April 24, 2010.
Judith worked with artist Lauri Ansell, who set the stage for the party by painting larger-than-life images of Eryn, the main character of UMS, and other details from the book. The original art from the books was done by graphic artist Val Cox. Val's cool art can be viewed to the left. Val created images of the UMS characters that enhance the book pages.
Now Lauri has translated some of those images onto the walls of Bean Trees, a coffee house in Alberta, Canada. If you happen to live near Cold Lake, why not take a stroll by to see the artwork, or feel free to drop in at the launch party. The more the merrier. And you'll get to hear Judith sing along with some of her former bandmates, who now perform with all-girl band Shenanigans.
If you aren't in the area, you can still enjoy the fun via Judith's vlog. Almost as good as being there in person. And Judith, your US fans are expecting another vlog on the night of the launch!
Here's the vlog:
You can view the vlog full size at YouTube and find out more about Judith and the launch party at the Wolfy Chicks blog.
Thanks to Teens Read and Write for a great review of Freaksville. Here are a few of the many glowing comments:
If you like a sharp, snappy female protagonist embroiled in danger, mystery and action, Freaksville is for you.
The strongest thing about the story is Kasey's sassy voice. And talk about energy. This girl has got plenty and it leaps from the pages with a manic pace....
Kasey is a screech. Her sarcastic wit had me laughing often, and she is full of spunk and determination. She and her best friend Gillie have a wonderful relationship, open, honest and loyal. Having boys enter the picture didn't interfere with their love for each other....
It's a good, lighthearted read with funky characters, a hefty dose of paranormal and layers of mystery weaving throughout. I'd recommend it, especially for younger teens and anyone who loves all things British.
Of course, we here at Leap Books love Kasey, too, and think she's fab. And the art by Canadian graphic designer, Val Cox, just adds to the fun.
Pick up a copy now and enjoy a 30% discount during our Leap Books Spring Special** anytime between 3-20-10 and 5-1-10. Just type in the special code: SPR30 when you check out!
Here's the link for Freaksville, but you can order our other titles, too, including the soon-to-be-released Under My Skin by Judith Graves. If you love all things paranormal, these are not to be missed.
**NOTE: Coupon not valid with any other discounts, including booksellers discounts.
