Cover Reveal! Blood Crown by Ali Cross

Every so often, I'm lucky enough to get to help share the covers of upcoming new releases for other authors. Usually this happens for books about which I am incredibly excited. Today we're talking about my good friend, author Ali Cross, and her February release Blood Crown.

Isn't it gorgeous? 

Check out the colors and the details. Tell me this doesn't intrigue you! 

About BLOOD CROWN: Serantha is the daughter of the Emperor of the West, who rules over the remnant of humanity who escaped a dying Earth and took to the stars a thousand years ago. With no habitable planets found during their exile, the android Servants who were supposed to care for them rose up, took the name of Mind, and murdered her father. Now the androids amuse themselves by forcing humans like her into mindless drudgery. But flashes of memory hint that Sera is no ordinary human.

On the other side of the galaxy, Nicolai, Son of the East, has abandoned his crown and joined the rebel forces in the war against the Mind. Humans have no real chance... unless the enhanced DNA developed by the Blood Crown scientists can unlock mankind's potential. When Nic and Sera are united, they discover their true potential--and together, humanity just might have a chance. But there's a legion of androids and nine years of mistrust between East and West... and coming together will require more than they ever expected.

Release date: February 20, 2014

About Ali Cross: Ali Cross is the sensei of Novel Ninjutsu where she holds a black belt in awesome. She lives in Utah with her kickin' husband, two sparring sons, one ninja cat, one sumo dog and four zen turtles.

Ali is the award-winning author of young and new adult fiction and moonlights as Alex Cross when she can write wild middle grade adventures set in the faraway places of her imagination.

Social media links:

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ali_cross

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authoralicross

Blog: http://www.alicross.com

Book on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19241969-blood-crown

Author on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5188441.Ali_Cross

Tumblr/Pinterest/Etc: http://desolationdiaries.tumblr.com/

Indelibles (indie authors): http://indeliblewriters.blogspot.com/

Emblazoners (middle grade authors): http://emblazoners.com/

Dauntless (authors): http://dauntlessauthors.blogspot.com/

Buy links: coming soon!

Happiness is a Choice

When I was young and we moved around a lot, my emotions were something of a roller coaster. Childhood emotions are generally very up and down anyway, but when your definition of home changes about yearly, even more so, I think.

After a move that had been particularly hard on me, my mother sat me down for a heart-to-heart chat. I was probably eleven or twelve. Maybe thirteen. And I must have been in a serious funk, because even back then it was hard to get me down and keep me there.

But I have never forgotten what my mother said to me that day. She told me that regardless of circumstances, surroundings, or the actions of other people, the only person who had total control of my happiness is ME. Happiness is a choice, and it is up to me to decide to be happy or not.

Since then, I’ve moved a whole bunch more times. Been through relationships and heartache and lots and lots of life. I’ve had my heart broken and rebuilt and remodeled and revised, and lived in several states and gone to lots of schools and experienced both happiness and disappointment. My mother’s words of wisdom have stayed with me through it all.

I choose to be happy.  

I have a family now, and children who are on a roller coaster themselves, and it’s time for me to pass on that same advice.

So here it is:

There are a lot of things and parts of life that are out of your control. Especially as a kid. Things happen, families move, bullies exist and there will always be someone who seems to know just the right thing to say in order to momentarily rip out your heart. You’ll like boys/girls and they might not like you back. Friends will say mean things and hurt your feelings. There will always be someone you miss. Always. There are a lot of reasons why you might choose to be unhappy, and those reasons will never go away. They will likely change, but there will forever be something.

Happiness is a choice. It is up to you to decide to rise above the bad and focus on the good. It’s up to you to take control of your well being. It is up to you to choose to be happy.

I hope I’ve taught you well. That’s all.  

It’s HERE! The Descendant Cover Reveal.

AAAAHHHHH! Can you believe this gorgeous cover? Seriously. I know I’m a teensy bit biased. I mean, LOOK! That’s my name. That character? I created her.

Um. Forgive me. I believe it’s possible I’m overexcited. But still. This is it. The cover for my first published full-length YA fiction novel. This is a day for which I have been waiting for a very, very, way-too-long time.

And now I will stop gushing and let you read the cover copy (which may not actually end up on the cover—but it works for now).

Descendant

Seventeen-year-old Abigail Johnson is Gifted.

Blessed—or cursed—with Sight and Healing, Abby lives an unsettled life, moving from place to place and staying one step ahead of the darkness that hunts her. When she arrives in Jackson, Wyoming, she is desperate to maintain the illusion of normalcy, but she is plagued with visions of past lives mixed with frightening glimpses of her future. Then she meets Kye, a mysterious boy who seems so achingly familiar that Abby is drawn to him like he’s a missing piece of her own soul.

Before Abby can discover the reason for her feelings toward Kye, the darkness catches up to her and she is forced to flee again. But this time she’s not just running. She is fighting back with Kye at her side, and it’s not just Abby’s life at stake.

Now, just FYI, there is no purchase link yet because this book isn’t released until May. You will be able to preorder it sometime in the next few weeks, but if you’re interested and want to keep track, you can always add it to your Goodreads “want to read” list. Talk about it, send yourself reminders, whatever. And also, keep checking back here, where I will be posting teasers and contests and other exclusive activities you won’t want to miss.

Thanks for celebrating with me!    

Find Descendant on Goodreads.

**UPDATE** 
Interested in joining us for the blog tour in May? Sign up here!

Why I Write For Young Adults

My son is graduating from high school next week. Yes, this freaks me out/makes me feel old. I have no idea where time has gone. (Kids, every adult you know will say this to you at some point, and today it’s my turn—time goes so, so, way too fast.) This graduation is a turning point for my whole family.


After this, I will have one-fewer child in pre-college schools. It’s entirely possible I’ll have one-fewer person living in my house, going on family trips, doing, well, other family things.


I remember being at this point myself not long ago. (Seriously, it was only like last year!) There was such a sense of excitement/trepidation/terror/happiness/fear/anxiety/expectation involved with growing up and being a real-life adult. I could make my own decisions and do my own thing and go my own way.


For me, turning eighteen was the biggest turning point in life. And now, years and years later, it remains that place where I catapulted into an entirely new existence.


The other day, I realized that the majority of characters in my books are right on this same cusp. They are seventeen/eighteen, standing on the ledge, ready to dive into that place from where they can never, ever come back.


It is the place where one big important thing ends, and something new and exciting and HUGE begins. It’s the day when everything changes, and the day life will never be the same.


This is where our real stories begin. And I think that’s why I write for young adults.

What time of life stands out most in your mind? Do you tend to write about those experiences too?

A Position of Trust

Okay people, it’s Friday, and as promised, I intend to tie into Monday and Wednesday’s posts and what broken-hearted children have to do with writing.

Two things, actually.

First, when it comes to writing for or about young adults, moments or situations like the ones I mentioned Monday tend to be crucial turning points in the lives of our youth. And depending on the person, one situation can bring about any number of different outcomes.

It all depends on who that person is, what they stand for, what they want, who supports them, and what they do next.  Situations like this? Birth of all contemporary YA novels.

Yeah. (And you wondered where story ideas come from!)

Okay, second. Real life kids—aka readers—have certain expectations from our content. They expect not only a compelling story with characters they love and an interesting plot, but they expect a realistic and satisfying outcome. They expect our fictional characters to help them figure out what to do in their very real lives, how to act and react. (But if we preach, they’re gone.)

But most importantly, they expect that we—the trusted adult author—will not let them down. That by the time they get to the end of our book, they will have figured out how to conquer high school, relationships, parents, and very possibly, the world.

All in ninety-thousand words or less.  No problem!  (See Wednesday’s post if you need a pep talk.)

Stories like this line bookstore and library shelves, float around in backpacks, purses, and lockers. They walk the streets and head to class and shop at the mall. They’re everywhere.

They’re today’s kids. And they’re nothing less than perfect.