Quill Shift: A Unique Agency for Children's and Young Adult Fiction

Why Quill Shift?

The Quill Shift Literary Agency represents writers of children’s and young adult fiction. We realize that the publishing industry, especially within this dynamic sector of the industry, is digitally shifting and expanding as more and more people are turning towards self-publishing as the answer to their writing dreams. We also understand that there is a greater need than ever to cultivate savvy writers, to provide them with resources to grow and flourish, and to connect them with readers who will most appreciate their works. By partnering with Quill Shift Literary Agency, because we truly see the agent/author relationship as a collaborative and supportive experience, authors are prepared to capitalize on every opportunity that is unearthed by our shifting industry.

Support Quill Shift Literary Agency from Quill Shift Literary Agency on Vimeo.

Quill Shift Literary Agency LLC is a boutique agency representing the intellectual property rights of authors who create quality books that provide children and young adults with long-lasting entertainment. Our authors receive dedicated care under representation from the Agency to ensure their long-term careers. Quill Shift Literary Agency takes pride in executing these services in order to allow authors to focus on writing marketable and well-written literature. Traditional representation services include:

Editorial Consultation
Contract Negotiation & Management
Subsidiary Rights Sales
Business Management

In addition to the standard services, Quill Shift Literary Agency provides certain services beyond the traditional because the industry is no longer traditional. We embrace new technologies and spheres in this digital age that empower readers to join in on the publishing process. The engagement and empowerment of readers in the publishing process is strategically designed to expand and strengthen the reach of an authors’ works. These enhanced services include:

Author Care & Advocacy
Industry Trend Information
Market Analysis
Long-term Career Strategy
Pre-publication Platform Creation & Audience Buzz
Self-publishing Facilitation
Social Media Assistance

Quill Shift Literary Agency ensures its authors success by identifying and market-testing their work through social media and crowdfunding, demonstrating their market appeal. Readers support what they truly want to read before it even gets published, which leads to the delivery of new, multi-dimensional talent that meets the stringent criteria for traditional publishing while also priming the author for a nontraditional route, simultaneously.

Quill Shift Literary Agency welcomes published and aspiring US-based writers of children’s and young adult fiction to submit to the agency. We have a keen interest in new authors writing for diverse audiences.

If you would like more information about this wonderful new concept and to either submit a manuscript or become part of the reading Shifter group go to:

http://www.quillshift.com/about/

Seventeen: Book One Virtual Book Tour

SEVENTEEN

By

Mark Diehl

BLURB:  

Most of the world's seventeen billion people are unconscious, perpetually serving their employers as part of massive brain trusts. The ecosystem has collapsed, and corporations control all of the world's resources and governments. A bedraggled alcoholic known as the Prophet predicts nineteen year-old waitress Eadie will lead a revolution, but how can she prevail when hunted by a giant corporation and the Federal Angels it directs?

EXCERPT FOUR

“I know what you did, Sett. There is a Federal Angel with me right now. He wants to talk to you.  He would like to know why you helped some waitress escape after she killed Matt Ricker. Switch to visual. Now.”

He blinked hard and wiped a palm across his forehead. A sickly gray light seemed smeared along the opposite wall, having filtered through the filthy window at the end of the hallway. The floorboards creaked as he shifted his weight.

“Is it true, Sett?” his mother asked. “Why would you get yourself involved in a debacle like that? Why? When everything was going so well for you?”

He stared down at the stained plywood floor, now spotted with teardrops.

“What were you thinking? A waitress? You know better than to go getting messed up with people like that. They’ll drag you right down with them, every time. You come home right now and explain to this Angel exactly what happened; I’m sure he’ll understand. But I’m not going to lie to you. There will still be fallout. Society does not tolerate wretched, uncivilized behavior. I can’t guarantee you’ll be allowed to remain at Fisher.”

“I wasn’t thinking at all, Mother. I was just doing it, all of a sudden.” He sniffed. “She was hurt, and they started it, not her. Nobody else would help. What was I supposed to do? Just let her die?”

“Oh, Sett.” His mother sighed. “Of course you were.”

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

Mark D. Diehl writes novels about power dynamics and the way people and organizations influence each other. He believes that obedience and conformity are becoming humanity’s most important survival skills, and that we are thus evolving into a corporate species.

Diehl has: been homeless in Japan, practiced law with a major multinational firm in Chicago, studied in Singapore, fled South Korea as a fugitive, and been stranded in Hong Kong.

After spending most of his youth running around with hoods and thugs, he eventually earned his doctorate in law at the University of Iowa and did graduate work in creative writing at the University of Chicago. He currently lives and writes in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.

Author’s Website: http://www.markddiehl.com

Follow the tour for more chances to win:  http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/09/virtual-tour-seventeen-by-mark-d-diehl.html

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New in Teen Fantasy: Christopher Paolini Anniversary and Brandon Sanderson #fantasychat

CHRISTOPHER PAOLINI, author of ERAGON (Knopf Books for Young Reader / On Sale October 22, 2013 / Ages 12 up)
From self-published obscurity to international sensation, Knopf celebrates 10-year anniversary of ERAGON

Christopher Paolini was 15 when he began writing ERAGON, Book One of the Inheritance cycle.  Now, nearing 30, he enjoys a success that is as magical as the fantasy novels he writes.  His Inheritance cycle (Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr and Inheritance) has sold over 35 million copies worldwide and is available in 125 countries in 49 languages.  His journey has been extraordinary.

This fall, Knopf is celebrating the 10th anniversary of this worldwide phenomenon with the release of a collector’s edition of ERAGON. This faux-leather bound edition features gold-foil line art on the cover and six glossy, full-color original illustrations on the interior by award-winning artists who inspired Paolini—John Jude Palancar (the Inheritance cycle cover artist), Michael Hague, Donato Giancola, Ciurelo, and Raoule Vitale—as well as Paolini himself. Christopher’s large, diverse and intensely devoted fan base—including many parents who thank him because ERAGON turned their reluctant readers into book lovers—are sure to add this special edition to their bookshelves.

BRANDON SANDERSON, author of STEELHEART (On sale September 24th / Delacorte Press / Ages 12 up)
STEELHEART, the #1 New York Times bestseller, is the first book in a new, action-packed thrill ride of a series!

Ten years ago calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary people extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics. But Epics were no friend to man. With their incredible gifts came a desire to rule. And to rule man, you must crush his will. Now, in what was once Chicago, an astonishingly powerful Epic named Steelheart has installed himself as emperor. Steelheart possesses the strength of ten men and can control the elements. It is said that no bullet can harm him, no sword can split his skin, and no fire can burn him. He is invincible. Nobody fights back… nobody but the Reckoners.

A shadowy group of ordinary humans, the Reckoners spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them. And David wants in. When Steelheart came to Chicago, he killed David’s father. For years, like the Reckoners, David has been studying, and planning, and he has something they need. Not an object, but an experience. He has seen Steelheart bleed—and he wants revenge.

Check out the twitter chat tonight #fantasychat!

Shannon Hale: The Interview

Author Interview Questions Shannon Hale

Describe your book in 5 words

                Boarding school for children of famous fairytales

Best writing tip you ever received?

                People remember a story for its characters.

What one young adult novel do you wish you had when you were a teen? Why?

                The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart. It’s smart, engaging, and discusses so many things I was struggling with.

Tell us 5 random facts about yourself.

                I have 4 kids (including identical girl toddler twins). My husband likes to wear masks and hide around the house to scare me. I like to read while lying on my belly. I love the sky. I’m not a very good speller.

What are you working on now?

                The third Princess Academy book.

For more awesomeness, visit:

http://yallfest.org/

Unbreakable: New From Kami Garcia: An Interview with the Author

Supernatural meets The Da Vinci Code in this action-packed paranormal thriller, the first book in a new series from New York Times bestselling author Kami Garcia.

I never believed in ghosts. Until one tried to kill me.

When Kennedy Waters finds her mother dead, her world begins to unravel. She doesn’t know that paranormal forces in a much darker world are the ones pulling the strings. Not until identical twins Jared and Lukas Lockhart break into Kennedy’s room and destroy a dangerous spirit sent to kill her. The brothers reveal that her mother was part of an ancient secret society responsible for protecting the world from a vengeful demon — a society whose five members were all murdered on the same night.

Now Kennedy has to take her mother’s place in the Legion if she wants to uncover the truth and stay alive. Along with new Legion members Priest and Alara, the teens race to find the only weapon that might be able to destroy the demon — battling the deadly spirits he controls every step of the way.

Suspense, romance, and the paranormal meet in this chilling urban fantasy, the first book in a new series from Kami Garcia, bestselling coauthor of the Beautiful Creatures novels.

What one thing do you need to have when you write?

I need three things: my laptop, my headphones, and Diet Coke.

Describe your book in 5 words

Paranormal. Ghost-hunting. Intense. Romance. Secret Societies.

Tell us 5 random facts about yourself.

1. I don’t know how to ride a bike. 2. I used to be an artist (a painter). 3. I won’t fly without my huge charm necklace that I believe will keep the plane from crashing. 4. I believe in ghosts. 5. Every time I write a book, I worry that everyone will hate it.

What are you working on now?

I am working on the second book in the Legion Series, the sequel to Unbreakable. Like Unbreakable, the sequel is very intense and has plenty of paranormal elements. But I think it’s even more romantic and surprising than the first book.

What is your favorite genre to write in? To Read?

My favorite genre to write is definitely urban fantasy/paranormal romance. I love to read paranormal, but I am also a huge fan of horror, crime fiction, high fantasy, and science fiction.

Check out: http://yallfest.org/ for more awesomeness! Don't forget to check out the new movie on Sunday Oct 6th with the Witches of West End!

An Interview with Melissa de La Cruz

What one thing do you need to have when you write?

Fear. Sometimes rage. I find that to truly focus I need to feel panic, and then suddenly everything in my manuscript becomes clear. I work best under duress, which is something my editors have learned and they're quite good at instilling fear in me. J I appreciate that! I also work well with many distractions, I think it's because I had a day job for nine years and had to write my books in the middle of doing my real work.

Describe your book in 5 words

Post-apocalyptic. Zombie. Dragon. Pirate. Fantasy.

What is the hardest line to write- the first or the last?

The first, definitely.

Best writing tip you ever received?

To introduce the love interest in the first 30 pages, not that specifically but learning that there was CRAFTING involved in writing a novel, not just voice.

What one young adult novel you wish you had when you were a teen? Why?

Harry Potter. Because! I don't think I have to explain.

Tell us 5 random facts about yourself.

1. I was a child model.

2. My favorite One Direction guy was Harry, but now it is Louis.

3. I have a Maltese named Mimi. She is not named for Mimi Force, our kid named her.

4. I learned to drive at 34.

5. I like savory treats better than sweet.

Where's your favorite place to write?

In a cubicle, surrounded by softly ringing phones and people murmuring. Sadly this is no longer possible for me.

What are you working on now?

My new series THE RING AND THE CROWN coming next spring from Disney-Hyperion.

What is your favorite genre to write in? To Read?

YA Fantasy and Paranormal. My favorite genre to read is "literary" fiction, but I would have to say I really enjoy bestsellers just as much, I like popular fiction, no matter what genre, I like to read what a lot of people are reading and take the pulse of the culture. But for my own taste, I love smart angry women writers like Lionel Shriver and Kate Christensen.  Also cookbook memoirs.

At what point in the development of an idea do you know that it will become a full-length novel?

When we've sold it!

For more info visit: http://yallfest.org/

Veronica Rossi: The Interview

Author Interview Questions Veronica Rossi

What is the hardest line to write- the first or the last?
Yeah, those. And all the ones in between!
Best writing tip you ever received?
            $5. Just kidding. Um… tip… I think it’s probably to allow yourself to suck when writing early drafts. It takes away a lot of the fear of generating good material. It’s not easy to be creative when you’re judging your work.  
Tell us 5 random facts about yourself.
1.       In the past year, I discovered a deep love of Brussel sprouts
2.       I talk to myself. Heck. Sometimes I argue with myself.
3.       I’m arguing with myself about including that last point at this very moment.
4.       My favorite animals are elephants.
5.       Dresses with pockets make me happy.
Where's your favorite place to write?
            I usually work in my home office, but I love working in hotel rooms. No distractions!
What are you working on now?
            Something I’m very excited about! Can’t divulge any details yet, but it’s an idea I’ve been mulling over for years.

For more awesomeness: http://yallfest.org/

Interview: Ransom Riggs

Author Interview Questions Ransom Riggs

What one thing do you need to have when you write?
Silence. My noise-cancelling headphones have become almost essential.

What is the hardest line to write- the first or the last?
The first. I rewrite and rewrite it a million times. The last comes easy.

Tell us 5 random facts about yourself.
I’m six foot four. I lived on a working farm until I was five. I used to know how to cook Indian food but now I’ve forgotten. I love documentaries. One day I will conquer the moon.

What are you working on now?
A novel for Little, Brown the plot of which is SECRET! (Sort of, for now. But I’m really excited about it.)

What is your favorite genre to write in? To Read?
Oh, definitely YA to write in. I read everything, lots of YA, lots of adult, nonfiction of all sorts. I even read poetry when I’m feeling ambitious. I think it’s crucial to have lots of different influences. If you only read in the genre you write in, your writing will sound like everything else that’s already out there.

For more awesome info: http://yallfest.org/

Rainbow Rowell: The Interview

Author Interview Questions Rainbow Rowell

What one thing do you need to have when you write?

Lip balm.

Describe your book in 5 words.

            FANGIRL
            Earnest, snowy, swoony, minty, bookish.
What is the hardest line to write- the first or the last?

            THE FIRST! The whole first page is a nightmare. I want people to just skip it. And I always end up rewriting it.

Best writing tip you ever received?

            “Just finish your book.”

What one young adult novel do you wish you had when you were a teen? Why?

            Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt. I think it would have made me feel less alone.

Where's your favorite place to write?

            At coffeeshops. In giant overstuffed chairs.

What are you working on now?

            I’m revising my adult novel, Landline, which comes out in spring 2014, and playing with a romantic/political/tragicomic fantasy.

What is your favorite genre to write in? To Read?

            I write mostly contemporary. I read mostly fantasy.

At what point in the development of an idea do you know that it will become a full-length novel?

            All of my ideas are full-length novels. I have a hard time narrowing my scope.

For more awesome sauce info visit: http://yallfest.org/

Sean Williams: The Interview

Interview: Sean Williams

What one thing do you need to have when you write?

The right music. And chocolate as a reward when I finish.

Describe your book in 5 words

Jump meets Uglies. But different.

What is the hardest line to write- the first or the last?

The first line is often the hardest to write, but I like a good challenge. The line I like writing the least is the last because it means I have a whole load of rewriting ahead of me.

Best writing tip you ever received?

Give up. If you can do that, you’ll be happier and probably better off as a result. If you can’t, then you know writing is exactly the right thing for you!

Tell us 5 random facts about yourself.

1) I live in Adelaide, South Australia, a place that’s home to about a million other people but somehow feels like a small town, which is why I love it.

2) I still think music from the 1980s is cool.

3) My stepson has situs invertus, which means his heart is on the wrong side of his body. That’s not really about me, but it is pretty random.

4) I’m a huge fan of Doctor Who.

5) I’m minding a pair of green tree frogs, Skipper and Jumpy, for a young friend while she’s overseas with her family. You can see pictures of them on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/seanwilliamsauthor/.

Where's your favorite place to write?

In my study, a lovely upstairs nook containing all my favorite book-related things, but I’ve trained myself to write anywhere as long as I have my headphones and some music. I quite like writing in hotels, probably because someone else does all the household chores.

What are you working on now?

Crashland, the sequel to Twinmaker.

Check out more awesomeness at: http://yallfest.org/ and twitter @yallfest.

The Girl Next Door Blog Tour and Giveaway

ABOUT THE GIRL NEXT DOOR

eBook Publication Date: May 24, 2013

Two teens are forced to make some very grown-up decisions when one of them is diagnosed with terminal cancer, twisting them into an unpredictable nightmare. Best friends since toddlerhood, Samantha and Jesse grapple with the realization that they are actually in love. What now? Beautifully written while handling a very heavy topic, Castrovilla addresses the universal question: In a world where the worst can strike at any time, how can we ever feel safe?

The Girl Next Door: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes

ABOUT SELENE CASTROVILLA

Selene Castrovilla is an award-winning teen and children’s author who believes that through all trends, humanity remains at the core of literature. She is the author of Saved By the Music and The Girl Next Door, teen novels originally published by WestSide Books and now available digitally through ASD Publishing. Her third children’s book with Calkins Creek Books, Revolutionary Friends, was released in April. She is also a contributing author to UncommonYA.  Selene holds an MFA in creative writing from New School University and a BA in English from New York University. She lives on Long Island with her two sons. Visit her website www.SeleneCastrovilla.com for book excerpts and more information!

Author links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Goodreads

SELENE CASTROVILLA TEAMS UP WITH THE AVM FOUNDATION 

Selene is pleased to team with the Anthony V. Mannino Foundation helping young adults in their fight against cancer. She will donate $1 for each book ordered during THE GIRL NEXT DOOR's Blog Tour!

Selene will send a free autographed copy of THE GIRL NEXT DOOR to anyone who donates $25 or more to the foundation (click here to donate!). For your purchase to count and/or to show proof of donation, just send a screenshot or receipt of your order or donation, along with your shipping address if necessary, through "Drop me a line" in the "Latest News" section of her website, selenecastrovilla.com.

The AVM Foundation Mission:

The Mission of The Anthony V. Mannino Foundation is to financially assist young adults in the age group of 18-26 while they are undergoing their cancer treatment.  We also want to help development support programs to aid this unique age group, with their special needs, as they battle cancer. 

We found that Anthony's age group of 18 plus, doesn't have the emotional or financial support that other age groups do. We are also aware of the unique situations that this age group faces and want to help those adolescents and their families. 

GIVEAWAY

Grand prize is a  Kindle Fire + THE GIRL NEXT DOOR ebook (US only), and 10 second prize winners will receive an ebook copy of THE GIRL NEXT DOOR (International). 

Review:

This book may appeal to readers of mature teen fiction who like books centered on love and loss. Fans of Lurlene McDaniel will find an instant affinity for a girl who is losing the best friend of her life to cancer. In the depth of despair, love blooms, sometimes with thorns. **There are mature situations. The voice of the book captured me at the onset and the emotions evoked are strong. I am actually late in writing this review because I had to mull the book over in my mind before posting it. 

Stories of kids with cancer rip my heart to shreds. Dealing with illness when it comes to someone you love will rip your heart out and stomp it flat. That is kind of the case here. The book does circle around in places, but then again, so does illness. Faith, acceptance, fear, loss... Just when you think you are going one place, often something else happens. Dealing with death and the messiness of life are things to help us all put our own lives in perspective. There are a ton of internal conflicts going on but the spice adds texture to the story and breathes even more life into it. It made me cry. More than once too. These characters get under your skin.


This is a beautiful book and a heart wrenching story.

4/5

TOUR SCHEDULE

September 9th

Katie's Books (Interview & Review)

A Book and a Latte (Excerpt)

September 10th

Books Over Boys (Feature) 

Happy Book Lovers (Review)

September 11th

Dear Teen Me (Feature)

Read For Your Future (Review)

September 12th

Books, Authors, Blogs (Guest Post )

Musings From An Addicted Reader (Review)

September 13th

Books and Needlepoint (Review)

alwaysjoart (Review)

September 16th

Writer's Alley (Interview)

Oops! I Read A Book Again (Review)

September 17th 

The Storyteller's Scroll (Guest Post)

Dana's YA Bookpile (Review)

September 18th

YA Reads (Interview) 

My Library in the Making (Review)

September 19th

Once Upon a Twilight (Review)

Total Teen Fiction (Review)

September 20th

The Unconventional Librarian (Guest Post)

Mythical Books (Review)

Follow the blog and leave a comment and click the link to the rafflecopter form below:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/35f0b074

CJ Lyons: The Interview

CJ Lyons:

Describe your book in 5 words:

CJ: Girl dying of broken heart (literally)

What is the hardest line to write- the first or the last?

CJ: The first. I’ll often return to it over and over again until I’ve sliced and diced and fine-honed it to that perfect combination of intrigue, visceral reaction, and emotional connection with the reader.

What one young adult novel do you wish you had when you were a teen? Why?

CJ: Code Name Verity because it is so emotionally honest and inspiring, empowering, not to mention gut-wrenching. Really brings the era to life as well as the sacrifices made in the name of freedom.

Tell us 5 random facts about yourself.

CJ: When I was a kid I worked summer stock theatre and was actually a theatre major undergrad before switching to pre-med. I’ve had two hard landings in helicopters while working as a flight doc. I survived rampaging Cape Horn Buffalo and a pack of wild baboons, not to mention a leopard (he’s already eaten) while hiking in Hells Gate Park in Kenya. I’m a Capricorn. I diagnosed my niece with the heart condition that’s at the center of my YA thriller, BROKEN.

What are you working on now?

CJ: DAMAGED, my next YA thriller, due out in 2014. It deals with the really tough topic of abuse and coercion and is the most difficult book I’ve ever tackled—there have been times while writing when I was literally in tears as I typed.

What is your favorite genre to write in? To Read?

CJ: I created my own genre of Thrillers with Heart—I love writing fast paced stories with raising stakes but centered on the emotional heart of an evolving relationship. As for reading, I read almost every genre but especially love YA, magical realism, and thrillers. As long as a story grabs me by the throat and won’t let me go because I’m too worried about what the characters are going through, I’ll read it and love it.

For more awesomeness, visit: http://yallfest.org/ and twitter @yallfest.

Dark Shadows: Wolf Moon Rising

The first all-new Dark Shadows novel in years, written by Lara Parker, one of the stars of the cult classic TV show!

When a portrait is lost that has maintained Quentin Collins’s youthful appearance for over a century—and has also kept his werewolf curse at bay—Quentin begins to dread the full moon.

Meanwhile, David, the sixteen-year-old heir to the Collins fortune, has fallen in love with Jacqueline, a young girl living at the Old House who is the reincarnation of Angelique. David and Jacqueline are swept back in time to the prohibition era of the Twenties, where David uncovers the dark secrets of the Collins family history.

Most threatening of all, Dr. Nathanial Blair, an expert in the paranormal, has come to Collinwood because he suspects they are harboring a vampire. Fortunately, Barnabas Collins has returned to his coffin after a disastrous flirtation with life as a human. Nevertheless, what Blair discovers places the entire Collins family in jeopardy.

Amazon