When Oceans Rise
Robin Alvarez

Publisher:
    Creative James Media

Pub Date: May 23rd, 2023
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Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
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Synopsis:


Submerged in a toxic relationship and disconnected from everyone, she turns to the sea to decide her fate. Its decision? Toss her to the sea witch.

Seventeen-year-old Malaya is cursed. In her family, every girl’s first love ends in death after falling for someone evil. Good thing Malaya’s dream guy isn’t monstrous.

Except the curse is real and preventing Malaya from noticing how much he has gaslit and isolated her until she can’t be saved. With no other options, the sea witch is the only one to help her. Bartering her voice for a new life where she and her abusive boyfriend never met, Malaya accidentally swaps places with an alternate timeline version of herself who didn’t make her mistakes. As she tries to undo the switch, the sea witch uses Malaya’s voice to unleash Filipino mythological creatures into the worlds.

Can a champion, an alternate timeline sister, and Malaya fight these beasts and stop the sea witch before she destroys both timelines?
Content Warning: gaslighting, one paragraph with physical abuse

Tell me a little about how this story first came to be. Did it start with an image, a voice, a concept, a dilemma, or something else?


This book started with a moment in my past when I chose to go surfing during a hurricane. Not during the day of the storm, of course. People who live near beaches will likely know this, but in the days leading up to a hurricane, the storm will feed the ocean. At seventeen, I chose to go out into those dangerous swells, and I almost died.

A creative writing professor asked me to explore why, and my immediate answer was that I was seventeen and at seventeen you just do reckless things. But I’d blocked out most of the truth…

At the time, I’d been in an abusive relationship with a guy who gaslit me until I’d lost my power, my sense of self, and my connections with the people who could have saved me. That day in the surf, I got caught in a fierce riptide, and I wondered if it would just be easier to let go.

Ultimately, I didn’t. But When Oceans Rise is built around that entire scene of powerlessness and struggle and questioning what I was worth.


Can you share something about the book that isn’t in the blurb?


One of my favorite aspects about this book that never gets mentioned is the web series Debunking the Aswang! In When Oceans Rise, the sea witch gains power as people see and believe the monsters she’s releasing. So Malaya and her family create a paranormal hunters web show called Debunking the Aswang to prove the monsters aren’t real (even though they are), so that they can keep the sea witch from gaining the power she needs to escape her underwater prison.


What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?


Marie Lu is a big influence. I loved her Legend series! I also mention Maggie Stiefvater! Her prose is so lyrical, and her plots are intricate. I always have to read her stuff at least twice: once for enjoyment and once for studying!


What life experiences have shaped your writing most?


I was quite the introvert as a child and very fearful of speaking up when people misunderstood me. Just feeling unheard for so long drives me write! At least, if someone picks up my book it’s because they’re choosing to hear me.

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What do you like to do when you're not writing?


I like to take on new hobbies just to see if I can do them and then give them up! No, but seriously, I really like learning new things. I know how to do a lot of stuff like surfing, woodworking, knitting, etc, because I just want to do a bunch of different things. I always secretly justify it by thinking, maybe I can make a superhero character who likes to knit or a woodworking vampire!


What other projects are in the works?

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I am working on a novel about soul families called Starseed! It’s based on the idea that we all come to Earth to experience growth as souls, and we do that by signing contracts about the experiences on Earth we will endure that will help us grow.

But these two sisters, who are twin flames and love each other very much in the soul realm, actually betray and kill each other in every human life to the point of near obliteration. They have to figure out how to navigate their next human life cycle or risk their own destruction.

About the Author:


Robin Alvarez is the author of the #1 New Release YA Ethnic Fairy Tale When Oceans Rise (May 2023). 


Strong female characters, mythological creatures, and mixed-race perspective are hallmarks of her work. While she’s spent the majority of her life in beach towns, having almost drowned several times, she currently resides in a desert where the waters are less likely to kill her.


Robin’s work has been featured on OwlCrate, ABC, and NBC news affiliates.

A Shadow Crown
The Halfling Saga #2
Melissa Blair

Publisher:
    Union Square & Co.

Pub Date: May 9th, 2023
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Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
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Synopsis:

​The highly anticipated second installment of the fantasy saga that took BookTok by storm sees Keera navigate political scheming, backstabbing, and her own grief as she moves against the cruel king that holds her kingdom hostage.

To the kingdom, Keera is the king’s Blade, his most feared and trusted spy and assassin. But in the shadows, she works with Prince Killian and his Shadow—the dark, brooding Fae, Riven, who sets her blood on fire. Together, they plot to topple the crown that sits upon the king’s head.

A secret can only survive as long as its conspirators, and when nothing is as it seems, all are in danger. Keera swore she would never open her heart again after a loss she barely survived. But she will soon find she has more to lose than she ever imagined . . .

About the Author:


Melissa (she/her/kwe) is an Anishinaabekwe of mixed ancestry living in Turtle Island. She splits her time between Treaty 9 in Northern Ontario and the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabeg in Ottawa, Canada. She has a graduate degree in Applied Linguistics and Discourse Studies, loves movies, and hates spoons.

​Melissa has a BookTok account where she discusses her favorite kinds of books including Indigenous and queer fiction, feminist literature, and non-fiction. A Broken Blade is her first novel.

The Rules of Us
Jennifer Nissley

Publisher: Labyrinth Road /
    Random House Children's

Pub Date: May 9th, 2023
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Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
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Synopsis:


​Come out. Break up. Stay friends? In this heartwarming queer love story about love of all kinds, exes navigate new crushes, new feelings, and a newly uncertain future after unexpectedly coming out to each other on prom night turns their lives–and their friendship–upside down. Can they figure out how to move on without losing each other?

Jillian and Henry are the kind of couple who do everything together. They take the same classes, have the same hobbies, and applied for the same super-competitive scholarship so they can go to the same dream college. They even come out as gay to each other on the same night, after junior prom, prompting a sudden breakup that threatens their intertwined identities and carefully designed future. Jillian knows the only way to keep everything on track is to approach their breakup with the same precision and planning as their scholarship application. They will still be “Jillian and Henry”–even if they’re broken up.

Except they hadn’t planned on Henry meeting the boy of his dreams or Jillian obsessing over a cool girl at school. Jillian is desperate to hold on to her best friend when so much else is changing. But as she and Henry explore what–and who–they really want, it becomes harder to hold on to the careful definitions she has always lived her life by. Stuck somewhere between who she was with Henry and who she might be on her own, Jillian has to face what she can’t control and let go of the rules holding her back.

Jillian and Henry's story is complicated.. and not just because their relationship is being pulled in opposite directions by their recent revelations. They're also smart, messy, complicated individuals who are prone to allowing their feelings to dictate their behaviors.

Both Jillian and Henry are extremely driven, college-bound students. It seems as if they've shared everything since they met, been absolutely in-step with one another all the way. Here those steps are starting to falter.

From a character standpoint, they each are alternately flawed and frequently relatable, if somewhat hypocritical. Unfortunately, this aspect of Jillian's personality is heavily frontloaded in the story, which made me dislike her for awhile.. but as things evened out, I began to root for both of them.

Generally speaking, the characters are diverse and adorable. I liked the supporting cast as much as the leads, sometimes more. I cared about them as people and their struggle resonated with me. It's not always easy to do what's right for oneself without causing collateral damage to those in our immediate circle, try as we might.

Initially this author had a small habit of interjecting really cringe internal monologue in what appeared to be an effort to use niche modern vernacular. While that would be fine for me if the rest of the book's tone matched it, the lines would come out of nowhere after a flowery description or more standard stylings. It just felt, out of sync with the writing as a whole.

I promise you though, it gets better. If it throws you off at the beginning, push on. Nissley does ease up on those kinds of phrases. Once they become fewer and farther between, softer even.. they stop jarring the reader out of the moment. 

The story itself is inherently cute, filled with themes of self-discovery, hope, and perseverance. I was pleased to see important topics discussed as well, like the flaw in idealized allyship over the importance of an individual's needs and wishes. I read it through in one shot and enjoyed it immensely. ​

About the Author:


Jennifer Nissley (she/her/hers) is the author of THE MYTHIC KODA ROSE, which will be published by Simon & Schuster in Summer 2021. Although her first love is writing, she is powerfully attracted to video games, horses, and pretty much any piece of clothing or interior design with an animal on it.

She received her MFA in Fiction from Stony Brook Southampton and lives in Queens with her wife and doggo, but sadly no horses.
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Currently, she’s at work on multiple writing projects.

Fake Dates and Mooncakes
Sher Lee

Publisher: Underlined / PRH

Pub Date: May 16th, 2023
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Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
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Synopsis:


Heartstopper meets Crazy Rich Asians in this heartfelt, joyful paperback original rom-com that follows an aspiring chef who discovers the recipe for love is more complicated than it seems when he starts fake-dating a handsome new customer.

Dylan Tang wants to win a Mid-Autumn Festival mooncake-making competition for teen chefs—in memory of his mom, and to bring much-needed publicity to his aunt’s struggling Chinese takeout in Brooklyn.

Enter Theo Somers: charming, wealthy, with a smile that makes Dylan’s stomach do backflips. AKA a distraction. Their worlds are sun-and-moon apart, but Theo keeps showing up. He even convinces Dylan to be his fake date at a family wedding in the Hamptons.
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In Theo’s glittering world of pomp, privilege, and crazy rich drama, their romance is supposed to be just pretend . . . but Dylan finds himself falling for Theo. For real. Then Theo’s relatives reveal their true colors—but with the mooncake contest looming, Dylan can’t risk being sidetracked by rich-people problems.
Can Dylan save his family’s business and follow his heart—or will he fail to do both?

1. Slow-heating romance: 
It's a fake dating story that takes its time. The near-miss romantic moments making you yearn for Theo and Dylan to find their way to each other.

2. Diaspora culture preservation: 
Examples of Chinese diaspora experiences are littered throughout the book as Dylan strives to preserve his culture and Theo grasps at the threads of his own via his connection with Dylan.

3. Positivity and productivity around grief: 
The story journeys along an exploration of grief and the different ways we deal with that, whether it be mourning a death or another type of loss, but remains light-hearted and full of warmth.

4. Loveable, relatable characters: 
Theo and Dylan are both sweet, wonderful characters. While they're not perfect, they're genuine and care deeply about those around them.

5. Quick, cute read: 
Perfect for a day read, most of the topics are handled gently and Dylan's family is a delightfully, fun bunch.

'Fake Dates and Mooncakes' is a delightfully queer, Not-So-Meet-Cute in the vein of To All the Boys I've Loved Before. 

Dylan is a quiet, hard working guy who's struggling to preserve his connection with his late mother and the culture he grew up in, while trying to balance school and helping to save his aunt's Chinese takeout. Surrounded by his loving, supportive family.. for the most part, life is pretty good.

Theo seemingly has it all. He's gorgeous, wealthy, and worldly for his age. There's a kindness to him that Dylan finds almost suspicious. So, when he talks Dylan into being his fake boyfriend for a family wedding, Dylan spends the weekend sort of waiting for the catch and trying to remind himself that none of it's real.

The pair are both lovely and I really enjoyed the slow, inevitable way they were drawn to each other initially. Though they met under strange, even uncomfortable circumstances, I found myself really wanting to see things go well for them.

While Dylan's family is great, Theo's leaves a little something to be desired. For the most part, they're inherently self-absorbed, unpleasant people.. with just a few exceptions. 

The romance was sweet, not overdone at all and I love that Lee did not just jump them right into physical intimacy. I also really enjoyed the glimpses of Dylan's heritage through the proverbs his family had carried with them, the expression of how they conveyed their traditions and feelings through their creation of meals, as well as little anecdotes relating to their spiritual beliefs.

This was a really cute, quick read and I didn't want to put it down. I look forward to seeing more stories from this author and would recommend the book to anyone looking for something relatively light that's filled with hope and joy.

About the Author:


Sher Lee writes rom-coms and fantasy novels for teens. She lives in Singapore and has an abiding love for local street food (including an incredible weakness for xiao long bao).
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FAKE DATES AND MOONCAKES, pitched as Heartstopper meets Crazy Rich Asians, is her debut YA rom-com coming Summer 2023 from Penguin Random House.

The Night Mother
NightWhere Series
John Everson

Publisher: Dark Arts Books

Pub Date: June 1st, 2023
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Genre: Erotic Horror
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Synopsis:

Selena, a fallen angel, knew that once exposed, you could never escape the pull of NightWhere, a mysterious underground club. Cassie, a driven dominatrix, didn’t.
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When both are drawn into the club’s secret rooms that promise an ecstasy of forbidden pain and pleasure, they must somehow try to protect the men they love. Because the club’s Midnight Queen, the Night Mother, has a deadly plan that may very well swallow not simply their bodies, but their souls.

"Come on in and sin." Yes, please!

'The Night Mother,' the upcoming release from Bram Stoker Award Winning Author--John Everson, is a welcome trip down the erotic horror genre lane. This standalone follow-up to Everson's 'NightWhere,' is not for the squeamish.

Told in multi-pov, this book tracks the stories of a fallen angel and her lover Mark, his ex Rae and her lover the Midnight Queen, and a dominatrix named Cassie who finds her path merging with them all. The seemingly mythical underground bdsm club is always on the move and the only way in is by invitation, but getting out is even harder once NightWhere takes an interest in someone.

As the events play out, the scenes get more and more gruesome, and you will quickly realize Everson isn't bound by much in the way of limits. There are no safe words here, not for those being admitted beyond the walls of the club.. and not for any of us. 

While this is fantastic for me, I know such graphic depictions can be difficult for others, so make sure you know what you're getting into before picking up the book. I discovered erotic horror via the old Hot Blood book series, so if you like those.. rest assured.. you will enjoy this too.

Scenes of violence and kink ramp up considerably over the course of the tale. The first few are relatively sedate in my experience, but they grow in scope and spectrum to a very gruesome, intense level. 

Personally, I had a blast reading this book and I applaud Everson for being able to keep up the rather aggressive pacing he set throughout the entire story.

About the Author:


John Everson is a Bram Stoker Award-winning horror author with more than 100 published short stories and 13 novels of horror and dark fantasy currently in print.


His first novel, Covenant, won the Bram Stoker Award for a First Novel in 2005. His sixth novel, NightWhere, was a Bram Stoker Finalist in 2013. His 13th novel, Five Deaths for Seven Songbirds was released in March 2022. His characters Danika and Mila Dubov appear in the Netflix series V Wars.