Featured Books – April 2024
Welcome indie book lovers! This month, we are excited to feature three fantastic reads these titles will not disappoint. From a cozy Victorian fantasy, to an epic fantasy romance, and even a craft book designed to help young adult writers craft their own bestseller, there is something you are sure to enjoy. So grab a cup of coffee, cozy up in your favorite reading nook, and dive into these three captivating books that are perfect for April.
A Spirited Engagement
by Belinda Kroll
It is a truth universally acknowledged that ghost brides make annoying romantic rivals.
Making her reluctant return to London after a ten-year absence, Tessa Preston cannot hide her dismay at her employer’s friendliness with Jasper Steele, the man who chased her away. To make matters more annoying, he’s haunted by a most insistent ghost bride. Determined to prove her indifference to the charming Jasper, Tessa realizes the entitled ghost demanding his attention may not be all she seems. Meanwhile, unaware of Tessa’s enmity, Jasper is delighted to have a second chance at her affections, and will let nothing, not even her cold stares, dampen his enthusiasm.
A Spirited Engagement is a cozy Victorian fantasy featuring sweet romance, annoying ghosts, found family, and a plucky BIPOC heroine kicking butt in all her finery surrounded by whimsical fun.
Heirs of Bone & Sea
by Kay Adams
Dive into the grand adventure of two young royals seeking to end the war between their two kingdoms in what Kirkus calls, “A Sapphic fantasy romance series-opener brimming with blood and longing.”
Climb the tower. Kill the princess.
Evhen, princess—no, queen—of Vodaeard, is on a revenge mission. After witnessing her parents’ brutal murder by the king of Marama and the horror of his undead army, she’s vowed to kill his daughter. It’ll be poetic justice and also take away his supernatural edge in the war. But when she realizes the princess might be an ignorant pawn, she changes course and hides her royal identity—after all, she can’t trust an enemy, no matter how beautiful she is.
Stay alive. Break the curse.
Princess Kalei of Marama is moon-blessed, allowing her to resurrect her kingdom’s loyal subjects. But when she’s attacked in her safe lighthouse by a fiery pirate, her worldview is shattered once she learns what her power is really being used for. Determined to prove her innocence and willingness to stop her father, she has no choice but to trust her would-be killer to safely deliver her to the Vodaeardean princess. But who can she trust in when it seems Captain Evhen is not the only one who wants her dead?
Save the Cat! Writes a Young Adult Novel: The Ultimate Guide to Writing a YA Bestseller
by Jessica Brody
An indispensable guide in the bestselling Save the Cat! story structure series that reveals the 15 essential plot points needed to make any young adult novel a success, from an accomplished novelist and the author of Save the Cat! Writes a Novel.
In Save the Cat! Writes a Young Adult Novel, prolific author and story coach Jessica Brody presents a comprehensive story structure guide for anyone who wants to write a young adult novel by applying the famed Save the Cat! screenwriting methodology to the world of YA fiction. In this book, you will learn:
– The fifteen “beats” (or plot points) that are necessary for crafting a successful story with a compelling character arc–including the Opening Image, Catalyst, Fun and Games, Bad Guys Close In, Dark Night of the Soul, and Finale
– The ten universal story genres that will help you drill into what makes your type of story work, including those most commonly found in young adult novels like Rites of Passage, Superhero, Buddy Love, Institutionalized, and Golden Fleece
– Quirky, original insights and writing tips like “Save the Cat,” the “Shard of Glass,” and the “Dark Night Epiphany,” that help you craft a story that will thrill and captivate teen readers
Filled with practical advice, easy-to-follow templates, and “beat sheets” analyzing the structure of popular young adult novels such as Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows, John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars, and Lois Lowry’s The Giver, this book is the ultimate reference for anyone who’s ever dreamed of writing their own young adult bestseller.