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WORK TITLE: Empress of a Thousand Skies
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE:
CITY: Brooklyn
STATE: NY
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/2135166/rhoda-belleza * https://www.linkedin.com/in/rbelleza/ * https://swankyseventeens.wordpress.com/2016/09/23/meet-the-author-rhoda-belleza/ * https://www.theyoungfolks.com/review/96837/interview-rhoda-belleza-author-of-empress-of-a-thousand-skies/
RESEARCHER NOTES:
LC control no.: no2012088175
LCCN Permalink: https://lccn.loc.gov/no2012088175
HEADING: Belleza, Rhoda
000 00395nz a2200121n 450
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008 120628n| acannaabn |n aaa c
010 __ |a no2012088175
035 __ |a (OCoLC)oca09236385
040 __ |a IlMchBWI |b eng |c IlMchBWI
100 1_ |a Belleza, Rhoda
670 __ |a Cornered, c2012: |b t.p. (edited by Rhoda Belleza) cover p. 4 (freelance writer and editor based out of Brooklyn, NY)
PERSONAL
Female.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer, editor, and young adult novelist. Paper Lantern Lit, Brooklyn, NY, editor; then Imprint, Macmillan Publishers Ltd., New York, NY, children’s book editor.
WRITINGS
Contributor to Rumpus.net.
SIDELIGHTS
Young adult (YA) novelist Rhoda Belleza grew up in Los Angeles, California, and works as a book editor. “My day job as an editor can be pretty varied, but I’d say everything I do falls into three major categories,” Belleza told Bustle Web site contributor Kerri Jarema, explaining: “Editing the book and supporting the author; advocating for the book and author; and networking and finding new content.”
Cornered
Belleza is also the editor of Cornered: 14 Stories of Bullying and Defiance, a YA fiction anthology featuring stories about bullying in the modern world. “There are several top-shelf YA authors included, … and their contributions here rank up there with their best work,” noted Sean Rapacki in a review for the Voice of Youth Advocates. In one story, a teen who is the object of bullying ends up trying to bully someone himself. The family takes a central role in some of the tales, including one about a suicidal teenage lesbian whose own mother treats her badly. Yet another story focuses on two teenagers who are being sexually exploited by adults.
Lambda Literary Web site contributor Reginald Harris wrote that Cornered “gives readers an intensely personal and unsettling look at the problem.” A Kirkus Reviews contributor called the anthology “a diverse, robust collection that looks unflinchingly at cruelty.”
Empress of a Thousand Skies
In her debut YA novel, Empress of a Thousand Skies, Belleza presents a science fiction tale about a princess who is the sole surviving heir to a powerful dynasty and is seeking to avenge her family and claim her throne. The Crown Princess Rhiannon Ta’an, better known as Rhee, is the last of a once-respected dynasty. Also integral to the story is Alyosha Myraz and his friend Vincent. Aloysha, a former war refugee who has become seventeen-year-old reality star of the DroneVision show, and Vincent follow renegade ships and poachers.
Aloysha, who is black, ends up being accused of assassinating Rhee, who is one of the light-skinned ruling elite, on the eve of her coronation. “I knew I wanted to write characters who represented different planets, races, species, and religions,” Belleza noted in an article she wrote for the Brittany Book Rambles Web site, adding in the same article: “I wanted to write within a scifi fantasy setting that captured the conflict and the complexity of humanity.”
In an interview with the Young Folks Web site contributor Lauren Wengrovitz, Belleza noted that the idea for the story came from her imagining “a girl constantly underestimated, but sly and smart and resilient.” Belleza went on to say that, after imagining an early scene in the book, “everything branched off from there.” Bell explained to Wengrovitz: “Her quest for justice, her obsession with revenge, the disdain she felt for the larger world that doubted her—they fell into place when I’d imagined the look on her face as she fled.”
The novel follows both sixteen-year-old Rhee, who escaped the assassination attempt, and Aloysha, who is also on the run. A Publishers Weekly contributor noted: “Rhee and Alyosha are compelling characters, and the back-and-forth between their story lines keeps the pace fast.” Eventually Rhee and Aloysha team up to face an evil that could impact the galaxy. They uncover a plan to steal the people’s Cube, which is an online network that records daily activities and logs peoples’ memories, which they can then review whenever they want. According to a Here’s To Happy Endings Web site contributor, the Cube plot element “added a big science fiction boost to the book.” A Kirkus Reviews contributor remarked: “Never faltering in her fast pace and nuanced characterization, Belleza weaves together many complex layers.” The Kirkus Reviews contributor went on to call Empress of a Thousand Skies “an exceptionally satisfying series opener.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, August 1, 2012, Angela Leeper, review of Cornered: 14 Stories of Bullying and Defiance, p. 68.
Children’s Bookwatch, October, 2012, “The Fiction Shelf,” includes review of Cornered.
Kirkus Reviews, June 15, 2012, review of Cornered; December 15, 2016, review of Empress of a Thousand Skies.
Publishers Weekly, December 12, 2016, review of Empress of a Thousand Skies, p. 148.
Skipping Stones, November-December, 2013, review of Cornered, p. 34.
Voice of Youth Advocates, August, 2012, Sean Rapacki, review of Cornered, p. 255.
ONLINE
Brit + Co, https://www.brit.co/ (February 7, 2017), Angela Velez, “Meet the YA Author Writing Game of Thrones in Space.”
Brittany’s Book Rambles, http://www.bookrambles.com/ (February 6, 2017), Rhoda Belleza, “The Importance of Diverse MC.”
Bustle, https://www.bustle.com/ (November 3, 2017), Kerri Jarema, “What Does a Book Editor Do? Macmillan’s Rhoda Belleza Has Some Insight on the Covetable Job.”
Here’s To Happy Endings, http://www.herestohappyendings.com/ (February 9, 2017), review of Empress of A Thousnad Skies.
Lambda Literary, https://www.lambdaliterary.org/ (July 26, 2012) Reginald Harris, review of Cornered: 14 Stories of Bullying and Defiance.
Swanky Seventeens, https://swankyseventeens.wordpress.com/ (September 23, 2016), “Meet the Author: Rhoda Belleza.”
Young Folks, https://www.theyoungfolks.com/ (February 9, 2017), Lauren Wengrovitz, “Interview: Rhoda Belleza, Author of Empress of a Thousand Skies.*
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rhoda Belleza was raised in Los Angeles, where she grew up writing X-Files fanfiction and stuffing her face with avocados. She’s a children’s editor at a publishing house and writes from a sunny Brooklyn apartment stuffed with far too many bikes and far too many shoes. When she’s not writing, Rhoda obsesses over nail art tutorials, watches kung fu movies, and sews together crooked things that pass for clothes. Empress of a Thousand Skies is her debut novel. Follow her on Twitter @rhodabee.
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What Does A Book Editor Do? Macmillan's Rhoda Belleza Has Some Insight On The Covetable Job
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ByKERRI JAREMA2 months ago
If you're anything like me, you're a readers who is super interested in book publishing, and what goes on behind the scenes of your favorite books. The books we hold in our hands have all had massive journeys — from the author sitting at their computers or notebooks banging out the words, to you holding that brand new crisp hardback in your hands.
There are literary agents and book packagers and so many more people who get a book from A to Z. But one of the most well known of these people is probably the book editor. These are the people who help take an author's work from good to great — the people who get it ready to hit the shelves (and, hopefully, the bestseller list.) But, whether you're just interested in learning more about the industry or you actually want to break in yourself, you might find yourself wondering what, exactly, a book editor's day to day looks like.
So we went right to the source to find out. You might recognize Rhoda Belleza's name from the cover of her popular YA fantasy book Empress Of A Thousand Skies. But did you know that she is an editor at Macmillan offshoot Imprint, too? She has worked on a ton of anticipated upcoming titles including The Wicker King by K. Ancrum; Ink, Iron and Glass by Gwen Clare; A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney; and Sweet Black Waves by Kristina Pérez.
"My day job as an editor can be pretty varied, but I’d say everything I do falls into three major categories," Belleza says. "Editing the book and supporting the author; advocating for the book and author; and networking and finding new content. There’s not really a typical work day because it’s so dependent on what deadline I need to hit."
Want to know more about how each of those major categories plays out during a work week? Keep reading below to find out.
Rhoda Belleza
Editing The Book And Supporting The Author
Giphy
"This varies wildly from project to project, but when I acquire a book I read it closely at least four times, over the course of working with the author on it—and then I review all the rounds of changes once it’s copy-edited and then proofread. I read it once to decide if I want to buy it, a second time to consider structural and conceptual changes with the author, a third time for deep character work and scene-by-scene suggestions, and then a fourth read to polish everything up. Sometimes more than that, but never less," Belleza says.
"It’s emotional work for the author; they have to trust me, but more importantly they have to trust their own instincts. It’s an intensely creative process, and every time with every writer, I feel like we’re holding hands as we run deep into revisions and emerge to tell the tale."
Advocating For The Book And Author
Giphy
"This requires a lot of creativity, and just as much investment and gumption as the actual editing. We have an amazing sales team to sell the book, a marketing team to market the book, and publicists to publicize it—and from the very beginning I want to let them all know how much I love my books. From the very first acquisitions meeting, I’m talking up a book and bragging about the author," Belleza says.
"I pretty much never let up from there. I also have to write cover copy and catalog copy, deliver presentations to librarians and others, and present my books for each season to all our different groups. I won’t even go into the acquisitions meeting that kicks everything off, but I did write a Tumblr post about it."
Networking And Finding New Content:
Giphy
"I read a lot of submissions. Agents send me their clients’ manuscripts, and I read through them to see if the books are the right fit for me and my imprint. I meet agents in a variety of different ways, but a large part of my job is taking lunches and attending industry events and conferences where I get to nerd out with other book people. We’re storytellers and story-shapers and story advocates, and that unites us. I’m meeting with agents to get to know their taste and vice versa, and I’m meeting writers—already published and aspiring to be published—to give and get their perspective on what can be done better," Belleza says.
"I dedicate time to finding #ownvoices writers and diversifying my list, and that means looking outside traditional publishing circles too, and connecting with folks directly through social media channels. There are a lot of self-taught writers and entrepreneurs I’d like to have conversations with, because as much as I love publishing, the industry has challenges like any other—and it needs to be a lot more inclusive. So I’m looking to outside advocates and critics to figure out how to do my part. This is pretty boiled down; there’s a lot I’m not capturing, and an insane amount of paperwork details I won’t bore you with."
Follow along with Rhoda on social media, and stay tuned to Bustle for more of her thoughts on book editing and breaking into the publishing industry.
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Meet the Author: Rhoda Belleza
Posted on September 23, 2016 by THESWANKY17S Leave a comment
Rhoda BellezaRhoda Belleza was raised in Los Angeles, where she grew up writing XFiles fanfiction and stuffing her face with avocados. When she’s not writing, Rhoda obsesses over nail art tutorials, watches kung fu movies, and sews together crooked things that pass for clothes. She’s an editor at Paper Lantern Lit and of Cornered: 14 Stories of Bullying and Defiance, and her work has appeared on the rumpus.net. She lives in a sunny Brooklyn apartment with far too many bikes and far too many shoes.
Rhoda’s debut, EMPRESS OF A THOUSAND SKIES, (PENGUIN/RAZORBILL, February 7, 2017) is A YA Sci-Fi novel. Perfect for fans of RED RISING and Marissa Meyer’s Lunar Chronicles, this epic sci-fi fantasy adventure follows two fugitives – a young princess-in-exile and her would-be assassin – across the far reaches of the galaxy as they fight to reclaim her dynasty and save the universe from a deadly threat.
Fun Facts:
The two or three items she needs to have with her when she sits down to write:
Coffee, a pen, a notebook
The literary character she’d most like to meet:
Arya Stark
Where you’ll find her:
Website/Twitter/Goodreads Author/Goodreads Book/Instagram/
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Brit + Co Meet the YA Author Writing Game of Thrones in Space
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Meet the YA Author Writing Game of Thrones in Space
Angela Velez Feb 7, 2017
What if you took the sprawling kingdoms and ambitious heroes and villains of Game of Thrones, and set all the scheming, power-snatching and butt kicking in outer space? Then you’d have Rhoda Belleza’s enthralling, adrenaline pumping Empress of a Thousand Skies, AKA a book you need in your hands STAT. We caught up with the mastermind herself and got Rhoda to reveal what’s next on her to-read list, her best advice for creative ladies and more. Scroll on to discover the author of your next fave novel.
empress
Brit + Co: Describe your book in six words or less.
Rhoda Belleza: Justice and revenge in space.
rb1
B+C: Where/when do you do your best writing?
RB: I wish I had a formula so I could recreate it over and over again. I’d say I’m most productive when I have a short-ish block of time and will not be interrupted. When I have anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours, I give myself a realistic goal to accomplish in the time given. It helps me focus on making a small piece of the book better.
B+C: What’s your go-to cure for when you’re stuck in a creativity rut?
RB: Going to a coffee shop WITHOUT my laptop — just a thick pad of paper and a nice pen. I’ll use the time away from a screen to outline a scene or work through a piece of dialogue. Hand writing something helps me slow down and hit a rhythm I couldn’t otherwise.
JemisinHiRes1
B+C: What two lady heroes do you turn to for inspiration, and why?
RB: N.K. Jemisin because she writes the most thoughtful, beautiful speculative fiction filled with mind-blowing allegories about cultural oppression set in expansive worlds. (Photo via Laura Hanifin)
Fiona Staples because she brings so much care and detail to her illustrations and so much humor and humanity to the characters she brings to life. (Photo via @fionastaples)
B+C: What’s your latest social media obsession?
RB: For the sake of not being here for the next year shipping folks who are brilliant and hilarious, I’ll narrow it down to three: Kaylapocalypse is run by Kayla Ancrum, an author and academic who curates the smartest, funniest, intersectional content on tumblr. I can’t get enough.
Tracy Clatyon (@brokeymcpoverty) and Constance Wu (@ConstanceWu) are just super badass, outspoken, brilliant ladies doing the work every day. Haikus With Hotties is self explanatory. If you don’t immediately get it, I’m not wasting my breath.
B+C: Can you name a book that you think deserves a little more love + recognition?
RB: Conviction by Kelly Joy Gilbert is a voice-y, raw novel about a boy who witnesses a traumatic event. It’s an incredible meditation on abusive relationships (parent/child), institutional racism and corruption and memory. I love this book so, so much.
B+C: What’s next on your to-read pile?
RB: A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki, Dear Martin by Nic Stone, The Swan Riders by Erin Bow
B+C: What advice do you have for aspiring creative ladies?
RB: When the ideas you’re grappling with start to feel challenging, you’re doing something right. How you approach it will depend. Sometimes you need to walk away and let it marinate, and sometimes you need to push through and figure it out — but whatever you choose, don’t let fear or intimidation play a role. Don’t let it scare you off; don’t back away because it feels too big a theme or a feeling to portray.
Basically, be generous to yourself when you need it, but don’t let yourself off the hook either. You gotta do the work now or later, but only you’re going to know what is right for you.
Got an author you’d like to see interviewed? Tweet us @BritandCo and let us know!
Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.
(Featured photo via Rhoda Belleza)
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Angela Velez
Angela is an MFA Fiction candidate at the University of Pittsburgh. You can find her reading obsessively, wandering bookstores and watching melodramatic television.
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Categories:Creativity
6 Books About Fresh Starts That Aren’t “Eat, Pray, Love”
Megan Parry Sep 16, 2017
It’s natural to treat the beginning of fall as a fresh start — new season, new fashion, new fall foods to enjoy. So what better time to make some major life changes (what else is there to do when the temperatures drop anyway)? If you’re feeling motivated to seriously shake things up, but you need a shot of support to get you going, try reading these six tomes about starting over. They’re sure to inspire, no matter what time of year.
1. Paris for One by JoJo Moyes ($25): The title story in this short story collection starts with safe, cautious Nell begrudgingly embracing her recent breakup with her total bore of a boyfriend by spending a weekend alone in the City of Love. Usually reserved, practical, and risk adverse, Nell suddenly finds herself zipping past Paris landmarks on the back of a motorbike driven by a handsome Parisian, falling in love with freedom and adventure in the process.
2. Heroes of the Frontier by Dave Eggers ($29): Josie decides to quit her dentistry career in Cleveland and loads her two quirky kids, Paul and Ana, into an RV headed for the Alaskan wilderness. She’s looking for an indefinite holiday from modern life and all the heartbreak, betrayal, and disappointment that comes with it. She gets that and much more. Eggers treats the family with the same bemused care that we expect from the hilariously wry writer as the trio flees wildfires, eats hot dogs cooked on bonfires, and breaks into (more than one!) cabin during their journey.
3. Life After Life by Kate Atkinson ($18): This inventive, gripping novel explores the universal fascination we have with the butterfly effect, which is how a single moment or decision can affect the course of an entire lifetime. We meet Ursula Todd on the day of her birth and death in 1910, as she passes on before she takes her first breath because the doctor is late to deliver her. From there, we follow Ursula through infinite lifetimes, witnessing how fleeting moments and offhand decisions change the course of the rest of her days.
4. Apron Anxiety by Alyssa Shelasky ($14): Bravo fans will especially dig this smart, insightful memoir from Alyssa Shelasky as she examines her relationship — and its eventual decline — with Top Chef charmer Spike Mendelsohn. A DC transplant, journalist, and food novice engaged to a chef, Shelasky decides to start a blog to chronicle her “messy affairs in and out of the kitchen,” as she learns to cook to connect with her fiancé. What results is a relatable, self-aware memoir that deftly explores themes of romance, passion, heartbreak, independence, ambition, and friendship — all told through the lens of food.
5. Cascade by Maryanne O’Hara ($16): It’s easy to make bad choices when you’re under immense pressure and feeling helpless. Such is the case when Dez Spaulding finds herself abandoning her dreams of becoming an artist in New York City to move back to her hometown of Cascade, MA to care for her ailing father and ultimately ending up in a marriage of convenience. Once her father passes away, Dez’s artistic ambitions start to blossom again. It’s something her husband finds cute until Dez meets a handsome Jewish painter with whom she shares an immediate connection. But once a man is murdered and her lover gets accused by paranoid townspeople, Dez makes decisions that most women in 1935 wouldn’t dare dream of.
6. Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie ($16): Ifemelu and Obinze fall in love as teenagers living in Lagos, Nigeria and vow to stay together even when Ifem moves to the United States to attend college. But after a series of heartbreaking events, the pair lose touch; Ifem blossoms as a blogger covering race and immigration in America while Obinze falls in with the wrong crowd living in London. Ifem settles into her success and finds love (and, in the process, herself) with a series of long-term relationships with men she truly loves. Of course, Obinze is always in the background. It’s a seriously stunning story of the many ways we can transform our lives — and ourselves — when we need or want to.
Do you have a favorite book about starting over? Tweet us @BritandCo so we can add it to our TBR list!
Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.
(Photos via Getty)
Megan Parry
Megan is a RVA-based writer and stylist with a profound love of the semi-colon, Taylor Swift, vintage sequins, modern art, vanilla-scented perfume, library books and her cat, Stormy.
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The Young Folks Interview: Rhoda Belleza, author of Empress of a Thousand Skies
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Interview: Rhoda Belleza, author of Empress of a Thousand Skies
LAUREN WENGROVITZFEBRUARY 9, 20170 2
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I’m thrilled to be a stop on the blog tour for Empress of a Thousand Skies. Rhoda Belleza’s debut novel features space opera action, a badass female main character, and a Lunar Chronicles-esque vibe. Check out our interview to learn about Rhoda’s writing process and what we can expect from the sequel to Empress of a Thousand Skies. And make sure you scroll to the end for your chance to win a copy of your own!
Where did the idea for Empress of a Thousand Skies come from?
It started with Rhee. I’d imagined a girl constantly underestimated, but sly and smart and resilient. The first scene I’d imagined is placed fairly early on in the book, where she survives an explosion and zooms off into space. Everything branched off from there. Her quest for justice, her obsession with revenge, the distain she felt for the larger world that doubted her—they fell into place when I’d imagined the look on her face as she fled.
Do you consider yourself a pantser, plotter, or something in between? What was your process while writing Empress of a Thousand Skies?
Definitely somewhere in between. I wrote the first few chapters of this book with only the slightest idea of the character arcs, then paused to outline the remainder of the book in detail. Then as I began to write, I’d diverge from the outline and change the story as I went. The scaffolding was invaluable for me, but at a certain point my characters pulled me in different directions, and I had to honor what felt most organic for the book.
I absolutely loved Rhee’s character. She’s such a badass! What did you enjoy most about telling her story?
I loved writing her defiance. She’s formed her identity both because of, and in spite of, the rigid expectations people have a young women. They’re thought of as incapable, overly emotional, and their thoughts and desires are written off and derided as “girly” (like that’s a bad thing).
I wanted Rhee to represent that struggle—I wanted to capture the joy and complexity and torment of being a girl, being put in a box, breaking out of it, everything.
I really enjoyed how action-packed this book is, but I imagine it’s difficult to keep up that kind of pace for an entire novel. What did you find most challenging while writing?
The hardest part was tightening the plot. It was looking for ways to ratchet up the tension and still stay true to the characters—what they want, how they would pursue it, etc. I wanted this to feel urgent and propulsive, but balancing the emotional beats to get the rhythm just right was my biggest challenge.
If you could spend a day with a character from Empress of a Thousand Skies, who would it be and why?
The Fisherman. He’s so gruff and sarcastic, but obviously a big softy inside. I love characters who claim no loyalties—but form deep ones all the same. Plus, he basically swims around in outer space carrying a harpoon gun, which is my dream life.
The ending of Empress leaves us with some pretty enticing information. Can you give us a hint about what readers can expect in the sequel?
There will be some very unlikely alliances! My favorite pairs get separated and rearranged…perhaps you might even see Aly and Dahlen team up!
About the book:
Empress
Rhee, also known as Crown Princess Rhiannon Ta’an, is the sole surviving heir to a powerful dynasty. She’ll stop at nothing to avenge her family and claim her throne.
Fugitive
Aly has risen above his war refugee origins to find fame as the dashing star of a DroneVision show. But when he’s falsely accused of killing Rhee, he’s forced to prove his innocence to save his reputation – and his life.
Madman
With planets on the brink of war, Rhee and Aly are thrown together to confront a ruthless evil that threatens the fate of the entire galaxy.
A saga of vengeance, warfare, and the true meaning of legacy.
About the author:
Rhoda Belleza was raised in Los Angeles, where she grew up writing X-Files fanfiction and stuffing her face with avocados. She’s a children’s editor at a publishing house and writes from a sunny Brooklyn apartment stuffed with far too many bikes and far too many shoes. When she’s not writing, Rhoda obsesses over nail art tutorials, watches kung fu movies, and sews together crooked things that pass for clothes. Empress of a Thousand Skies is her debut novel. Follow her on Twitter @rhodabee.
Giveaway
Enter for a chance to win one (1) of three (3) signed copies of Empress of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza (ARV: $17.99 each).
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Enter between 12:00 AM Eastern Time on February 6, 2017 and 12:00 AM on February 20, 2017. Open to residents of the fifty United States and the District of Columbia who are 13 and older. Winners will be selected at random on or about February 22, 2017. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.
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TAGS BLOG TOUR EMPRESS OF A THOUSAND SKIES FEATURED RHODA BELLEZA
Lauren Wengrovitz
Lauren is a twenty-something currently living in Northern Virginia. She loves to read YA books and watch movie adaptations. Lauren is passionate about many things, but reading has always been a huge part of her life. Ever since she first learned to read, her parents have always had to pry books out of her hands when it’s time for other commitments. Lauren is always eager to try a new book, author, or series. She also loves music, Harry Potter, and the Washington Capitals. Follow her on Twitter: @LWengrovitz.
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Importance of Diverse MC
By Rhoda Belleza
I knew I wanted to write characters who represented different planets, races, species and religions. But it wasn’t like I declared: “I will write a diverse/intersectional novel!” While it was absolutely intentional, I didn’t want to force it—it was more like I'd wanted to mirror the world I lived in. I wanted to write within a scifi fantasy setting that captured the conflict and the complexity of humanity. I’m not quite sure I succeeded. I think there’s always more work to be done, more buttons to push.
Sometimes diverse or intersectional pieces in fiction get a bad rep, like we're doing it to sell copies, in which I would respond with a huge LOLZ and the laughing/crying emoji because that's not the financial reality for most of us writing this type of work. In fact it makes people uncomfortable. They don’t want to see real-world analogs because sometimes the real world is a misogynistic, racist, hateful place—and they don’t want to confront that in themselves.
I don’t care about those readers.
I’m interested in reaching readers who want to confront the world, who want to laugh and cry and learn. I want that for myself. It’s why I read and why I write.
At some point when I was way too old to realize it, I saw that I was mostly reading and watching straight white boys save they day. There was a hero arc type, and it sure as hell wasn’t a brown girl like me. In fact if any one character looked any different, they were relegated to tokenized side kicks, hyper sexualized objects, and villains with accents or regionalized speech. And when I was little, what that taught me was that my value lay in how well I could serve this hero.
This is absurd. It’s incorrect and harmful and it can be terrible for a kid’s self esteem. Why can’t a bunch of kids who looked like I did save the day? Why couldn’t they frolic across expansive fantasy landscapes, drive spaceships, be revered? Oh wait, they can.
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Print Marked Items
Belleza, Rhoda: EMPRESS OF A THOUSAND
SKIES
Kirkus Reviews.
(Dec. 15, 2016):
COPYRIGHT 2016 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Belleza, Rhoda EMPRESS OF A THOUSAND SKIES Razorbill/Penguin (Children's Fiction) $17.99 2, 7 ISBN: 978-
1-101-99910-3
A galaxy perches on the edge of war when word goes out that the crown princess has been assassinated. Except she
hasn't been. An assassination attempt from a shocking source has Rhee running from planet to planet, disguised,
untangling threads of deception and betrayal. She's bent on revenge on the man who assassinated her family years ago,
which left her the last Ta'an of 12 generations of warrior emperors--but he may not be who she thought. In another
thread, in breathlessly alternating chapters, Aly finds himself tossed from his life in the military (and reluctant star of a
reality program) into a desperate quest to absolve himself from the charge of assassinating Rhee. It's no coincidence
that Aly, the accused, is black and belongs to an oppressed refugee group; Rhee has the tan skin of the ruling group.
Never faltering in her fast pace and nuanced characterization, Belleza weaves together many complex layers: the recent
Great War (massacres, famines, clouds of chemical gas that scorched whole cities to dust); racism, roundups, and
imprisonments; the roles of media and propaganda; revenge, guilt, grief, and obligation; and disturbing moral questions
about privacy and technology, especially regarding the cubes implanted in most people's minds to orient them
geographically and store their thoughts and memories. This is a multiplanet, multiculture, multitech world and a timely
tale. An exceptionally satisfying series opener. (Science fiction. 14-18)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Belleza, Rhoda: EMPRESS OF A THOUSAND SKIES." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Dec. 2016. General OneFile,
go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA473652265&it=r&asid=98d40adc6a70db75703c9b75cd291f99.
Accessed 16 Sept. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A473652265
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Belleza, Rhoda: CORNERED
Kirkus Reviews.
(June 15, 2012):
COPYRIGHT 2012 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Belleza, Rhoda CORNERED Running Press (Children's Fiction) $9.95 7, 3 ISBN: 978-0-7624-4428-1
This bully-themed anthology stands out in both the breadth of its scope and its tolerance for moral ambiguity. A
distinguished and ethnically diverse set of authors contribute to this volume, which focuses not only on teens who are
targets of bullying, but also those who perpetrate it--and many, realistically, do both. Bullying takes many forms,
including a teacher ridiculing students, a viral racist email and hazing on a soccer team. The contributors largely delve
into bullies' behavior without resting on clich�: David Yoo's unnamed protagonist targets another teen in part
because he himself has been bullied, but readers also see the specific incidents and pressures that make his actions,
though unforgiveable, more understandable. Most contributors also wisely observe that family dynamics can have as
much impact as those at school: James Lecesne's suicidal teen protagonist is called "lezzie" by a classmate, but her
mother also snips at her, "Would it kill you to wear a skirt every once in a while?" Overall, however, the book's
handling of homophobic bullying is mixed; it is believable that Elizabeth Miles' straight narrator is humiliated by
malicious rumors that she is a lesbian, but one wishes the story indicated that being LGBTQ need not be shameful. For
the most part, a diverse, robust collection that looks unflinchingly at cruelty. (Anthology. 12 & up)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Belleza, Rhoda: CORNERED." Kirkus Reviews, 15 June 2012. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA292825685&it=r&asid=5ffd0a1739db32c240c3791c9865a216.
Accessed 16 Sept. 2017.
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Belleza, Rhoda, Ed.: Cornered: 14 Stories of
Bullying and Defiance
Sean Rapacki
Voice of Youth Advocates.
35.3 (Aug. 2012): p255.
COPYRIGHT 2012 E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC
http://www.voya.com
Full Text:
4Q * 3P * S Belleza, Rhoda, Ed. Cornered: 14 Stories of Bullying and Defiance. Running Press, 2012. 384p. $9.95
Trade pb. 978-0-7624-4428-1.
Bullying and being bullied are nearly universal teen experiences, and this collection of short stories manages to cover
many facets of how these experiences shape us as human beings. There are several top-shelf YA authors included, like
Jaime Adoff, Jennifer Brown, and David Yoo, and their contributions here rank up there with their best work. The only
misstep in the collection is a tale by Zetta Elliott that deals with two teens from extremely different backgrounds who
find common ground because they are both being sexually exploited by adults. While the story itself is worthwhile, it
seems a stretch to fit within the theme of bullying. The rest of the stories, however, not only focus on bullying, but deal
with the subject bravely and without resorting to easy answers.
It is no exaggeration to say this collection is filled with a lot of pain, but there has always been a steady audience for
tragic realistic fiction. What is surprising is the amount of hope and humor conveyed in many of the stories. Short story
collections generally do not rack up huge circulation numbers in most libraries, particularly among teens, but this
combination of trusted authors and bold tales definitely deserves a chance to beat the odds.--Sean Rapacki.
4Q Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses.
3P Will appeal with pushing.
S Senior High (defined as grades 10-12).
Rapacki, Sean
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Rapacki, Sean. "Belleza, Rhoda, Ed.: Cornered: 14 Stories of Bullying and Defiance." Voice of Youth Advocates, Aug.
2012, p. 255. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA304171994&it=r&asid=40466c754d729d00bc287777c50dff1b.
Accessed 16 Sept. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A304171994
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Empress of a Thousand Skies
Publishers Weekly.
263.51 (Dec. 12, 2016): p148.
COPYRIGHT 2016 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Empress of a Thousand Skies
Rhoda Belleza. Razorbill, $17.99 (320p)
ISBN 978-1-10199-910-3
Sixteen-year-old Crown Princess Rhiannon "Rhee" Ta'an is the Rose of the Galaxy, the only survivor of a crash that
killed her parents and sister. Rhee is out for revenge, certain that Crown Regent Andres Seotra betrayed her family and
plots to take over the throne. When Rhee is attacked by someone she trusts on the eve of her coronation, a Fontisian
named Dahlen comes to her aid, but his motives are suspect. Meanwhile, 17-year-old reality star Alyosha Myraz and
his best friend Vincent, who track renegade ships and poachers, are thrust into the wrong kind of spotlight when
Alyosha is accused of Rhee's assassination. When Rhee discovers a plot to hijack people's cubes (which record
memory and allow instant memory playback), her plans for revenge take a backseat to new concerns. Rhee and
Alyosha are compelling characters, and .the back-and-forth between their story lines keeps the pace fast; explorations
of family, identity, and the power of memory are punctuated by exciting action scenes. Fans of calculating political
maneuvering and expansive, interplanetary plots will find much to enjoy in Bellezas Firefly-esque debut. Ages 12--up.
Agent: Stephen Barbara, Inkwell Management. (Feb.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Empress of a Thousand Skies." Publishers Weekly, 12 Dec. 2016, p. 148. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA475225138&it=r&asid=da4c8b187556d5c1ad9b2f58f23d231c.
Accessed 16 Sept. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A475225138
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Cornered: 14 Stories of Bullying and Defiance
Angela Leeper
Booklist.
108.22 (Aug. 1, 2012): p68.
COPYRIGHT 2012 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist_publications/booklist/booklist.cfm
Full Text:
Cornered: 14 Stories of Bullying and Defiance. Ed. by Rhoda Belleza. 2012. 384p. Running Press, paper, $9.95
(9780762444281). Gr. 8-11.
"Everyone has been a victim and everyone has been an oppressor," writes editor Belleza in this thought-provoking,
multicultural collection. Featuring mostly YA writers, such as Jennifer Brown, Jaime Adoff, and Brendan Halpin, the
short stories depict the various ways bullying begins, how the bullying cycle continues, and the difficulties in ending
bullying. In these tales, bullying takes aim against teens who are younger, weaker, overweight, and who are of different
races, ethnicities, genders, and sexual orientation. From a Pakistani-American teen whose uncle is accused of being a
terrorist by a jealous observer to a join-or-be-killed gang initiation to a vigilante dedicated to exposing bullies, the
stories also reveal how friends, classmates, teammates, teachers, and even the environment can all become tormentors.
Although the collection mostly comprises realistic fiction, a few stories incorporate fantasy elements, with Lish
McBride's paranormal entry a standout for its dark humor. Helpful for teachers, guidance counselors, and teens trying
to stop bullying, yet engaging for readers simply browsing this important topic.--Angela Leeper
Leeper, Angela
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Leeper, Angela. "Cornered: 14 Stories of Bullying and Defiance." Booklist, 1 Aug. 2012, p. 68+. General OneFile,
go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA299886362&it=r&asid=666f08c44bffcc1dccf7472e2cf78a92.
Accessed 16 Sept. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A299886362
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Cornered: 14 Stories of Bullying and Defiance
Skipping Stones.
25.5 (November-December 2013): p34.
COPYRIGHT 2013 Skipping Stones
Full Text:
Cornered: 14 Stories of Bullying and Defiance edited by Rhoda Belleza (RP/Teens). This compilation of short stories
addresses the questions: why children believe race and difference in appearence are cause for abuse and how bullying
affects high school students. For mature ages 13 and up. ISBN: 978-0-7624-4428-1.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Cornered: 14 Stories of Bullying and Defiance." Skipping Stones, Nov.-Dec. 2013, p. 34. General OneFile,
go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA352488015&it=r&asid=269c5dfc1bd2b2519e6143bc9cb391e0.
Accessed 16 Sept. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A352488015
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The Fiction Shelf
Children's Bookwatch.
(Oct. 2012):
COPYRIGHT 2012 Midwest Book Review
http://www.midwestbookreview.com/cbw/index.htm
Full Text:
About Average
Andrew Clements
Atheneum
c/o Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 4th floor
New York, NY 10020
9781416997245, $16.99, www.kids.simonandschuster.com
ABOUT AVERAGE tells of Jordan Johnston, who is very average. She's ordinary in every physical and mental way--
but everyone else in her class is remarkable: talented, beautiful. Jordan feels she has no talents--and makes it her
purpose to discover her great talent in life by year's end. A lovely story of a girl's social and personal evolution makes
for a fine account suitable for readers in grades 3-5.
Stella Batts: Pardon Me, Book 3
Courtney Sheinmel, author
Jennifer A. Bell, illustrator
Sleeping Bear Press
315 East Eisenhower Parkway, Suite 200
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
9781585361946, $5.99, www.sleepingbearpress.com
"Stella Batts: Pardon Me" is book 3 of a fantastically popular series for new chapter book readers in elementary grades.
Filled with spunky, cheerful, wacky black and white illustrations of Stella and crew, "Stella Batts: Pardon Me" deals
with the familiar issue of finding a new best friend when your bff moves away, along with other related subjects
including communication, making and keeping new friends, adjusting to change, family responsibility and much more.
The casual, bantering tone of dialogue and narrative style is very warm and kid-friendly, encouraging identification
with the trials and tribulations of Stella. "Pardon Me" is a perfect reading experience to encourage gradual maturation
in all relationships for children, and it is also perfectly fun and entertaining to read.
Cornered
Rhoda Belleza, editor
Running Press
2300 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103-4371
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9780762444281, $9.95, www.runningpress.com
No one likes being belittled and made to feel inferior. "Cornered: 14 Stories of Bullying and Defiance" is a collection
of short stories of people facing the pressures of bullies and tormentors. Fourteen young adult writers come together
and recount their own experiences, and draw on how to answer our own fears and answer our exterior pressures.
"Cornered" is an excellent collection for younger readers who may be facing down bullies themselves.
Keep Jumping/No Hating
Stephanie Perry Moore & Derrick Moore
Saddleback Publishing Inc.
3120 Pullman Street
Cosa Mesa, CA 92626-4564
9781616518851, $14.95, www.sdlback.com
There is more than one side to every story. "Keep Jumping/No Hating" is a dual perspective take on the same series of
events, as Stephanie Perr Moore presents another drama surrounding the Lockwood High students, as cheerleaders and
the players they cheer for face the problems that come with love and growing up. "Keep Jumping/No Hating" may be a
fine choice for youth readers seeking something that talks to their problems.
Believing In Horses
Valerie Ormond
J.B. Max Publishing
2598 Hoskins Road
North Vancouver, BC Canada
9780973633023, $11.95, www.jbmaxpublishing.com
The chance for something better out of our lives presents itself in may strange ways. "Believing in Horses" is a novel
following preteen Sadie as she deals with her family's troubles and the recent move to Maryland. A horse in her life
helps her keep her head straight, but her newest thing may bring her grief in those driven by greed. "Believing in
Horses" is a strong addition to young adult fiction collections, not to be missed.
Kendall's Storm
Janet Muirhead Hill
Raven's Publishing
PO Box 2866, Norris, MT 59745
9780982089309, $12.00, www.ravenpublishing.com
It's hard to make any sort of life when you have to start anew every few months. "Kendall's Storm" is a young adult
novel from Janet Muirhead Hill as she tells of Kendall, a ten year old boy whose life gets uprooted every few months.
Lonely, an encounter with a lost puppy may change Kendall's life forever. "Kendall's Storm" is a fine pick for young
adult fiction collections, recommended. Also recommended is "Kendall and Kyleah" (9781937849054, $14.00),
continuing Kendall's journeys and meeting with Kyleah.
The Yawning Rabbit River Chronicle
J. L. Kimmel & David Ceccarelli
Spring Tree Press
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PO Box 461, Atlantic Highlands, NJ 07716
9780978500719, $17.99, www.springtreepress.com
Heroism isn't unique to mankind alone. "The Yawning Rabbit River Chronicle" tells of the heroes of the forest, both
human and animal, who seek to defend their home there against the encroaching paranormal threat that looms over the
forest. An overlying story is pieced together over the course of the book, making for an enrapturing and recommended
read, not to be missed. "The Yawning Rabbit River Chronicle" is aimed at young adults, but will prove enjoyable to
readers of all ages.
Narc
Crissa-Jean Chappell
Flux
2143 Woodale Drive
Woodbury, MN 55125-2989
9780738732473, $9.95, www.fluxnow.com
For family, we take on burdens we often shouldn't. "Narc" follows Aaron Foster, a high school student who takes a
metaphorical bullet for a family member's drug rap, and goes undercover for the police in his high school. But being
the Narc isn't easy, as he builds lies on top of lies when he's not sure on how far he should go on the matter. "Narc" is
an enticing read for youths, touching on a very important message about the pressure lies and the liberation of honesty.
Eliza's Journal
Caelyn AB Williams, author
Kati Green, illustrator
Craigmore Creations
2900 SE Stark St., Suite 1A
Portland, OR 97214
9780984442256, $14.99, www.elizasjournal.com
When we can embrace a talent and earn a living in the process, it's a good way to have peace of mind, although some
seek more. "Eliza's Journal" follows young Eliza Wolcott, as she seeks to further her talent as an artist, gaining a job as
a natural history illustrator for one Orville Tanner. But she grows suspicious and begins to become curious about her
employer, and the facts she learns will change much. "Eliza's Journal" is a fine pick for young adult readers, very much
recommended reading.
How to Tend a Grave
Jocelyn Shipley
Great Plains Teen Fiction
345-955 Portage Avenue
Winnipeg, MB Canada R3G 0P9
9781926531199, $14.95, www.jocelynshipley.com
A sudden change of scenery can make the adjustments to adulthood all the more difficult. "How to Tend a Grave" is a
coming of age novel from Jocelyn Shipley, as she tells of Liam, forced to live with an unknown grandparent after her
mother is killed in a hit and run. Tempted by the local gangs, he finds a kindred spirit in Harmony, a girl with her own
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unique pile of problems. The two fifteen year olds form a friendship and learn much about life and grief. "How to Tend
a Grave" is an enticing and recommended pick for young adult fiction collections.
Night of the Purple Moon
Scott Cramer
Train Renoir Publishing
9780615637082, $9.95, www.nanonoodle.com
A plague may wipe out life as we know it. "Night of the Purple Moon" is a novel following Abby Leigh as the moon
turns purple and wipes out anyone who has hit puberty. As youths struggle to get by and find out the cause from the
disaster, Abby finds that keeping her family going may be just enough on her plate. "Night of the Purple Moon" is a
fine read for youths, highly recommended.
Julie Rayzor
Richard Howes
LRCK Publishing
9780984996902, $9.99, www.amazon.com
When times are tough, everyone must fight in their own way. "Julie Rayzor: Romance, Adventure, Zombies" is a
thriller of a dangerous future world where Julie Rayzor, a seventeen year old trying to survive in this conflict, and
embarks on a rescue mission that falls part and leaves her in more danger than ever. A riveting tale of adventure with
plenty of coming of age elements, "Julie Rayzor" is a fine pick for teenaged readers and above, recommended.
Cloud People
Victoria Varley
CreateSpace
100 Enterprise Way, Suite A200
Scotts Valley, CA 95066
9781468177923, $21.00, www.createspace.com
Everyone remembers looking into the skies and seeing things and stories in their mind." Cloud People And Other Scary
Stories for Children" is a unique collection of stories from Victoria Varley as she crafts stories of the clouds, drawing
from images of clouds in the sky and creating stories that will intrigue and possibly frighten children of any age, eight
to eighty. "Cloud People" is a truly original spin on fiction, much recommended reading.
Pipper's Secret Ingredient
Jane Murphy & Allison Fingerhuth
Mutt Media
225 East 74th Street, Suite #3H
New York, NY 10021
9780615388083, $16.95, www.snoutzadventures.com
Culinary perfection is well worth the journey in life. "Pipper's Secret Ingredient" is a Snoutz adventure from Jane
Murphy & Allison Fingerhuth, as Pipper embarks on a worldwide adventure to find that missing spice of his world to
perfect the perfect dog treat. But his journey won't come easily, as Bull Bogus is out to take the ingredient from him at
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any cost. "Pipper's Secret Ingredient" is a riveting adventure for intermediate readers, with colorful illustrations from
Neal Sharp spread throughout, highly recommended.
Rosie and Scamper
Vicki Watson
Christian Cowgirl
c/o Morris Publishing
3212 East Highway 30, Kearney, NE 68847
9780984724208, $7.95, www.christiancowgirl.net
Friendship is always a gift worth giving. "Rosie and Scamper" is a young adult novel from Vicki Watson who tells the
story of Rosie and what she learns at the Sonrise Stable. Learning to bond with a new pony, she tries to realize to
another girl in friendship and starts something special. With a powerful Christian message throughout, "Rosie and
Scamper" is a must for youth Christian fiction collections, highly recommended.
Camp Wacko
Faith Wilkins
Arundel Publishing
36 Crystal Farm Rd., Warwick, NY 10990
9781933608839, $10.95, www.arundelpublishing.com
One doctor's cruel practices could spell trouble for the world. "Camp Wacko: The Drones of Summer" is an engaging
work of young adult fiction. Young Lily Mason is recruited to infiltrate Camp Wackerson and bring down the mad
scientist who is out to control the minds of the teenagers at his summer camp. Running against time and unsure of who
to trust, Lily finds potential pitfalls everywhere she turns. "Camp Wacko" is fun for teen and preteen readers, highly
recommended.
The Loser List: Revenge of the Loser
H.N. Kowitt
Scholastic Inc.
557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012-3999
9780545399265, $9.99, www.scholastic.com
The Loser List: Revenge of the Loser tells of Danny Shine, who is officially OFF the Loser List in the girls' backroom -
and facing a new problem in the form of Ty Randall, who is ruining Danny's school reputation as the best artist. A
notebook-and-cartoon-drawing journal format captures some zany ideas and encounters in a story that keeps readers
guess to the end. Kids in grades 3-6 will find this a winning, fun presentation.
Random House
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor
New York, NY 10019
www.randomhouse.com/kids
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Patricia Reilly Giff's SUPER SURPRISE (9780385738903, $12.99) is Book 6 in the 'Zigzag Kids' series and receives
black and white drawings by Alasdair Bright as it explores the world of Destiny Washington, who is helpful at school
and who evolves a plan when she learns that her favorite teacher, Ms. Katz, might have to lave the school. She hatches
a plan with her friend Yolanda and creates an adventure that might resolve more than one issue in this fun read.
Jennifer L. Holm's EIGHTH GRADE IS MAKING ME SICK (9780375868511, $15.99) tells of Ginny Davis, who has
big plans for eighth grade. She's going to try out for cheerleading and maybe fall in love; but her plans go awry when
she discovers her family is moving, there's a new baby on the way, and her stable home world seems shaken. This story
is part scrapbook, part graphic novel, and filled with journal entries and notes - all in vivid full color, making it a
special recommendation for Grades 4-6 who are in the 'almost beyond picturebook reading' class. Barbara Park's
JUNIE B., FIRST GRADER: TURKEYS WE HAVE LOVED AND EATEN (AND OTHER THANKFUL STUFF)
(9780375870637, $11.99) provides the first original book in the June B. series in more than five years, and combines
the talents of Barbara Park and illustrator Denise Brunkus who celebrate Thanksgiving in a feast of fun. School and
home Thanksgiving plans are recounted in a zany, fun read offering appeal to Junie B. prior fans and newcomers alike.
Rose Cooper's SECRETS FROM THE SLEEPING BAG (9780385742467, $12.99) takes the form of a blog/notebook
complete with lined paper pages and printing that reflects the experiences of one Sofia, who is spending the summer at
Camp Krakatow. Crafts, campfires and fun are recorded in a 'blog novel' perfect for grades 3-5. Mary Pope Osborne's
latest addition to her 'Magic Tree House' series, A PERFECT TIME FOR PANDAS (9780375868269, $12.99) presents
the time-traveling duo of Jack and Annie, sibling who have to find a certain kind of food to save Merlin's penguin
Penny. The magic tree house brings them to a village in China close to a panda reserve so theoretically their journey
should be easy--but they've arrived on the day of a historic earthquake, and they quickly find their plans are shaken and
their quest turns to a struggle to survive. Black and white drawings throughout lend to this addition to the Magic Tree
House series, suitable for newcomers and old fans alike.
Scholastic Inc.
557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012-3999
www.scholastic.com
Natalie Standiford's THE SECRET TREE (9780545334792, $16.99) provides a fine story of summertime friends and
centers around a neighborhood full of spooky mysteries. From Man-Bat, half man, half bat who is rumored to fly
through the woods, to the Mean Boys who torment Minty for no reason, this offers a fine blend of humor and spooky
fun along with the mystery surrounding a Secret Tree, with a hollow trunk that holds the secrets of everyone in the
neighborhood. A fine mix of genres and themes lends to an exciting plot! Sarah Mlynowski's WHATEVER AFTER:
FAIREST OF ALL (9780545403306, $14.99) tells of a basement mirror which moves two siblings into the world of
Snow White's fairy tale. They immediately assume hero status when they stop her from eating the poisoned apple: but
if she doesn't die, she'll never meet her price and live happily ever after! Their efforts to change a good deed to achieve
the classic outcome makes for a fine spin on the fable. Jenny Nimmo's CHRONICLES OF THE RED KING; THE
STONES OF RAVENGLASS (9780439846745, $16.99) provides the second book in a new adventure fantasy and tells
of Timoken, a lost king from a secret kingdom who has found a new home in a British castle. But he becomes
imprisoned in the castle and it takes a talking camel, a wizard, a friendly dragon and much magic to help him escape
and lead him on a journey. Kathryn Lasky's WOLVES OF THE BEYOND: SPIRIT WOLF (9780545279611, $16.99)
returns to the world of the popular GUARDIANS OF GA'HOOLE fantasy to tell of a world facing apocalypse from an
earthquake. Most of the wolf clans have been lost in the tremor, and the survivors need a leader to show them to a
better place. It's up to young Faolan to step up--but there's something about him that just isn't right ... fast action and a
strong fantasy story line keep this a riveting pick for middle grades on up. Ross MacKenzie's ZAC AND THE
DREAMSTEALERS (9780545401067, $16.99) tells of Zac, who can't sleep--along with others.
Bad dreams keep robbing the wide-awake world of rest until one night Zac is torn from his restless dreams to find
himself in another realm: the land of Nocturne. Can he find out who is ruining the world of sleep? Suzanne Weyn's
INVISIBLE WORLD (9780545334860, $17.99) provides a moving novel of the Salem witch trials and tells of
Elisabeth James, who has powers she doesn't really understand. She can read minds and has supernatural gifts--not evil
ones. But when Elisabeth sails with her family to America, she doesn't foresee their ship will be wrecked in a storm--
and finds herself alone on a South Carolina plantation where she falls in love, learns more about her powers, and is sent
as a servant to Salem, Massachusetts, where she accidentally allows an evil spirit to enter the village. A riveting novel
packed with twists and turns throughout, and very highly recommended! Chris D'Lacey's THE FIRE ASCENDING
(9780545402163, $18.99) provides the final adventure in the story of David Rain and the Pennykettle dragons, and tells
of a mysterious force which is rewriting timelines, turning legend into reality. The evil Ix have taken over and infected
all life-forms with their dark army, and a dangerous quest evolves in a fantasy recommended for grades 6-8. Wendy
Mass' TWICE UPON A TIME: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (9780545310185, $16.99) provides a fine novel based
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on the experiences of Beauty, who has none of the beauty and courage expected with such a name, a perfect older sister
who fits the name perfectly, and Prince Riley, who is neither tall nor brave. Beauty and price Riley receive separate
challenges that require them to face their greatest fears and challenges in this fine story.
McElderry Books
Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 4th floor
New York, NY 10020
www.kids.simonandschuster.com
Jeannie Mobley's KATERINA'S WISH (9781442433434, $15.99) tells of a girl who has a dream: her family has come
to America to buy a farm, but her father's still working in a dangerous coal mine, Mama and the girls do laundry for
extra money, and each day the farm seems nothing but a dream. Then Katerina sees an opportunity for making a wish--
and anything seems possible until tragedy strikes. KATERINA'S WISH is a fine story of immigrant experience and
fortitude against all odds. Melissa Wiley's THE PRAIRIE THIEF (9781442440562, $15.99) tells of a girl whose life
has been turned upside down: her father is locked away in jail, she's living with the awful neighbors who helped put
him in prison, and she discovers a magic secret that could help save her father. Al this is set on the prairie and will
involve ages 8-12 in a moving story packed with unexpected twists and turns.
Knopf/Delacorte
c/o Random House Children's Books
1745 Broadway, 10-1
New York, NY 10019
www.randomhouse.com/kids
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's EMILY AND JACKSON--HIDING OUT (9780385740975, $14.99) provides a fine
companion to EMILY'S FORTUNE and tells of one Emily Wiggins, who along with her orphan friends have escaped
the cruel Catchum Child-Catching Services as well as her mean uncle. It seems she and Jackson will be happy living
with her loving Aunt--but somebody is snooping around looking for an orphan child on the run and is looking for a
reward for snatching Jackson and returning him to labor at the mill. A fine story evolves for any fan of EMILY'S
FORTUNE. Amelia Atwater-Rhodes's POISON TREE (9780385737548, $15.99) tells of newly-renamed Sarik, who
has become a mediator giving aid to those caught between worlds. Her life seems fairly defined until a stranger joins
her group--and involves Alysia in a desperate struggle to keep her past from her new life. A human among vampires,
witches and more, Alysia has always dreamed of proving herself something more than mortal: can she reach her
dreams? A fine, complex supernatural fantasy will reach grades 6-8. Roxanne St. Claire's DON'T YOU WISH
(9780385741569, $17.99) tells of plain, unpopular Annie who is zapped by one of her father's inventions and sent to a
parallel universe where her life becomes perfect. Now she's daughter of a different father, the rich and lovely girl in
high school, and lives in glitzy Miami instead of Pittsburgh. The only trouble is--Ayla is still Annie--and is offered a
chance to return to her original world. Will she take it? A fine survey for grades 6-8 about dreams and reality. Lesley
M.N. Blume's THE WONDROUS JOURNALS OF DR. WENDELL WELLINGTON WIGGINS (9780375866504,
$16.99) provides a set of 'lost diaries' from the greatest paleozoologist of all time revealing strange secrets that have
existed beyond imagination. From the deadly Amazonian Whispering Vine to a strange gaseous northern-lights
creature, his journals and sketches recount many strange encounters in a hilarious spoof on scientific travels and
discoveries illustrated in black and white by David Foote and satisfyingly zany! Shelley Pearsall's JUMP INTO THE
SKY (9780375836992, $16.99) is set in 1945 and tells of teen Levi who heads to a U.S. Army post in search of his
father. The war may be ending but Levi discovers his father's secret mission is just beginning--and he has the choice of
joining him. A powerful saga of military action, courage and love will draw readers from grades 6-8.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"The Fiction Shelf." Children's Bookwatch, Oct. 2012. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA310151963&it=r&asid=4ae9aa2265a7c92091e48ae3ef90577c.
Accessed 16 Sept. 2017.
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Gale Document Number: GALE|A310151963
Here's To Happy Endings
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09
FEB
2017
Empress of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza – Blog Tour and Giveaway!
Posted in Fantasy, Reviews, Science Fiction, Young Adult |
Book Tour
Book Title: Empress of a Thousand Skies
Book Author: Rhoda Belleza
Publishing Date: February 7th, 2017
Publisher: Razorbill
Date Read: February 5th, 2017
Source: ARC from publisher - Thank you!
View on Goodreads
Purchase on Amazon
Synopsis
Empress
Rhee, also known as Crown Princess Rhiannon Ta’an, is the sole surviving heir to a powerful dynasty. She’ll stop at nothing to avenge her family and claim her throne.
Fugitive
Aly has risen above his war refugee origins to find fame as the dashing star of a DroneVision show. But when he’s falsely accused of killing Rhee, he's forced to prove his innocence to save his reputation – and his life.
Madman
With planets on the brink of war, Rhee and Aly are thrown together to confront a ruthless evil that threatens the fate of the entire galaxy.
A saga of vengeance, warfare, and the true meaning of legacy.
My Review
“Honor, loyalty, bravery. Revenge.”
Empress of a Thousand Skies is definitely a fast paced adventure from the very first page until the end of the book, without a boring moment in between. In fact, you really have to try your hardest to keep up with what is going on so you don’t get lost, because there’s so much happening at any given time that is completely vital to the story. I’ve seen this book being called a space opera, and to be honest, if it is an accurate description, it’s the first of its kind that I’ve read, and I really enjoyed it!
Princess Rhiannon is the last of the Ta’an family, and while they have been ruling for generations, she is the only one left – her parents and older sister Joss died when she was younger. However, just when she believed that she would have the chance to rule as planned, a close family friend, and member of her guard, tries to kill her. Surviving the attack, Rhee decides that she not only must avenge her family’s deaths, but she must seek revenge for the man who ordered her killed, as well. Rhee will do everything in her power to make this happen, including changing her appearance and allowing everyone to believe that she has, indeed, been killed.
Alyosha is one of the stars of a popular DroneVision show, and he is used to being in the spotlight. However, when he is falsely accused to killing Princess Rhiannon Ta’an, he must do what he can to prove that he is innocent, even if it means putting his life on the line and going into hiding to the best of his ability. Aly loses some he cares about, as well as teams up with someone who might help him, finding out horrifying things along the way. Trying to clear his name is proving to be quite difficult, and Aly might need all the help he can get.
Rhiannon’s character is made out to be this independent, fearless type from the very beginning, with the desire to seek out revenge on the person who caused her family’s death.
“There were two things for certain: that her family had been murdered, and that she was supposed to have died at their side.”
Essentially, the fact that Rhiannon survived isn’t going down well with someone, as she was supposed to have died with the rest of them, causing the entire line of Ta’ans to die out. However, when Rhee survived, that wouldn’t do – instead, she murders the man who tries to kill her, cuts off her hair, and sends it as a warning message to the man she knows is responsible. Talk about badass. I loved Rhee’s character from the very beginning of the book.
Aly’s character was interesting as well – falsely accused of murdering the princess, he is forced to come up with a way to clear his name so that he might go on with his life instead of being punished for a crime he didn’t commit.
One of the things I thought was interesting about Empress of a Thousand Skies was the emphasis that is put on the Cube, which is an online network that essentially records daily life and keeps a log of your memories, both good and bad, that you can sort through and actually watch again whenever you’d like. This is a really neat idea and added a bit to the story, especially when the characters were trying to stay undercover so they couldn’t be tracked. It added a big science fiction boost to the book, and really made gave me something to think about – I mean, how far off are we from something like this? It’s kind of a neat thing to think about.
The diversity of the characters in this book is also something to mention. It’s done so very well, and blends in so well with the story that allows you to note it, but it isn’t overdone in a way that it’s constantly reminding you that the characters are not all the same race or have the same kinds of traits. I wish more books featured diversity in such a perfect way as this one.
The ending was a nice touch, as well, and it wasn’t really something I was expecting.
From the synopsis of the book, I thought that there was going to be some scenes actually involving Rhiannon and Alyosha together, so I was kind of bummed that they had two different story lines going. The chapters are told from alternating viewpoints of both of them, though, so that was a really nice touch. It was easy to really connect with both characters since it was written this way.
If you enjoy YA science fiction, you really should check this one out. Aside from that stunning cover, this book is so well written and will keep you entertained the entire way through!
About the Author
Rhoda Belleza was raised in Los Angeles, where she grew up writing X-Filesfanfiction and stuffing her face with avocados. She’s a children’s editor at a publishing house and writes from a sunny Brooklyn apartment stuffed with far too many bikes and far too many shoes. When she’s not writing, Rhoda obsesses over nail art tutorials, watches kung fu movies, and sews together crooked things that pass for clothes. Empress of a Thousand Skies is her debut novel. Follow her on Twitter @rhodabee.
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Giveaway!
Enter for a chance to win one (1) of three (3) signed copies of Empress of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza (ARV: $17.99 each).
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Enter between 12:00 AM Eastern Time on February 6, 2017 and 12:00 AM on February 20, 2017. Open to residents of the fifty United States and the District of Columbia who are 13 and older. Winners will be selected at random on or about February 22, 2017. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.
Tour Schedule:
Week One:
2/6 – Brittany’s Book Rambles – Guest Post
2/6 – Bibliophile Gathering – Review
2/6 – Seeing Double in Neverland – Mood Board
2/7 – Tales of a Ravenous Reader – Excerpt
2/7 – In Wonderland – Review
2/8 – Across the Words – Character Fan Casting
2/8 – Novel Ink – Review
2/8 – Bookling Critics – Review
2/9 – The Young Folks – Interview
2/9 – Here’s to Happy Endings – Review
2/10 – Butter My Books – Book Look
2/10 – Ex Libris – Review
2/10 – My Friends Are Fiction – Guest Post
Week Two:
2/13 – Stories & Sweeties – Empress Cupcakes
2/13 – What Sarah Read – Guest Post
2/13 – MundieMoms – Review
2/14 – YA Wednesdays – Character Fashion
2/14 – Fiction Fare – Review
2/15 – Once Upon a Twilight – Favorite Quotes
2/15 – The Books Buzz – Review
2/15 – Take Me Away to a Great Read – Review
2/16 – The YA Book Traveler – Empress Trailer
2/16 – Bookworm Everlasting – Review
2/17 – The Forest of Words and Pages – Like/Try/Why
2/17 – The Paige Turner – Interview
2/17 – Fangirlish – Review
Tagged 4 stars, Blog Tour, fantasy, penguin teen, razorbill, rhoda belleza, sci-fi, young adult |
This entry was posted in Fantasy, Reviews, Science Fiction, Young Adult and tagged 4 stars, Blog Tour, fantasy, penguin teen, razorbill, rhoda belleza, sci-fi, young adult. Bookmark the permalink.
← A Tragic Kind of Wonderful by Eric LindstromThe Castle in the Mist by Amy Ephron →
12 Responses to Empress of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza – Blog Tour and Giveaway!
John Smith says:
February 9, 2017 at 9:01 am
Sounds like a good book! Thank you for the contest!
Reply
Kelly says:
February 9, 2017 at 5:57 pm
It’s amazing! Thanks for stopping by!
Reply
danielle hammelef says:
February 9, 2017 at 12:52 pm
Thanks for the review. I love that you found the book to be fast-paced and that you had to pay attention or get lost. I’m excited to read this for myself. And the cover is stunning.
Reply
Kelly says:
February 9, 2017 at 5:54 pm
I hope you enjoy it when you pick it up! And I definitely agree about the cover – it’s one of my favorites!
Reply
Raven says:
February 9, 2017 at 3:57 pm
I’m so glad you loved this! I was looking to forward to read this book and reading your thoughts has made me more excited. Great review! 😀
Raven recently posted…Ward Against Death (Chronicles of a Reluctant Necromancer #1) By Melanie Card [Review]My Profile
Reply
Kelly says:
February 9, 2017 at 5:54 pm
Thanks so much! It’s really fast paced and you won’t want to put it down because so much happens!
Reply
Cookie says:
February 9, 2017 at 5:05 pm
lovely review! i’m listening to this now and it’s spectacular!
Reply
Kelly says:
February 9, 2017 at 5:55 pm
I heard really great things about the audiobook version of this – I’ll definitely have to check that out! Glad you like it!
Reply
Suzanne @ The Bookish Libra says:
February 13, 2017 at 7:17 pm
Great review! I’ve been eyeing this book for a while now and your review has me more excited about it than ever before 🙂
Reply
Kelly says:
February 13, 2017 at 8:12 pm
Thanks so much! It really is an enjoyable book, so I hope you really like it when you get the chance to read it!
Reply
Alicia @ A Kernel of Nonsense says:
February 13, 2017 at 8:58 pm
Wonderful review! I just finished writing my own for this one and really liked the book overall. Like you, I wanted so badly for the characters to meet and if we don’t get a sequel, I may riot.
Reply
Kelly says:
February 15, 2017 at 6:18 pm
Thank you! It was definitely not what I was expecting, and I was kind of bummed that the characters didn’t meet, but hopefully we get that sequel and that changes. With the way that book ended, there’s no way the author won’t write a sequel, right? *crosses fingers*
Reply
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Cornered: 14 Stories of Bullying and Defiance’ edited by Rhoda Belleza
Review by Reginald Harris
July 26, 2012
In the light of the recent revelation that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney may have bullied a fellow student in high school, something said by character in “The Shift Sticks,” Josh Berk’s story in this collection, gains unexpected relevance. When teenager Bryan Forbes says, “It wasn’t that bad, was it?” to Tiffany Sanz, a girl he and a group of others bullied in elementary school, she replies: “It looks totally different from wherever you sit on the totem pole, my friend. And only people on the top, or at least not on the bottom, would ever, EVER say it wasn’t that bad. It was terrible. There were times, many times, I wished I was dead.”
The authors in Cornered use their stories to take us inside the minds and skins of those who are being bullied, and the bullies themselves, to show readers just how wrong thinking teen-aged harassment is “not that bad” can be. As editor Rhoda Belleza writes in her introduction, after hearing about friends’ experiences being bullied, “Learning these details seems instrumental to my understanding of who they are now – and it inspired me to turn the mirror on myself. It gave me the opportunity to remember a past transgression and infuse this otherwise dark memory with hope – seeing each experience as a marker from which I could measure not only how far I had come, but how much further I wanted to go.”
Cornered reminds readers that being bullied can happen to young people for various reasons, regardless of sexual orientation. While the young girl in Trevor screenwriter James Lecesne’s “Still Not Dead” is lesbian, most of the teens in these stories are not gay, although sometimes, as in Elizabeth Miles’ “Defense Mechanism,” they face accusations of being gay or lesbian. The stories more often deal with class-based taunting; the victims “don’t fit in” because they don’t have the right clothes or hair or live in wrong neighborhood. The anthology also lets us know that the bullied can be filled with a desire for revenge (Kristen Miller’s “Nemesis”), or how sometimes the bully is being forced into violence by peers (Jaime Adoff’s excellent “The Truest Story There Is”). Most of the stories are first person narratives from the point of view of the bullied; in “Like Kicking A Fence,” however, Kate Ellison effectively and disturbingly takes us inside the mind of an aggressor, exposing the inner torments and uncertainties that lead a child to an horrible act of violence.
In all the stories families are for the most part distant, missing, broken or clueless as to what is happening to their children. Even the kids with apparently “good parents” in Cornered invariably feel isolated and alone. Adults often seem complicit to the taunting and harassment going on in the lives of these young people, and school administrators are no help at all. “How Auto-Tune Saved My Life” by Brendan Halpin exposes a teacher who bullies his students.
Not all of the stories fit the anthology’s theme of bullying or defiance. In those stories where kids do fight back, they often use such 21st century tools as social networking or cell phone cameras to get back at their tormentors. A few, like “We Should Get Jerseys ‘Cause We Make a Good Team” by Lish McBride, also feature elements from the genres of Speculative Fiction or Fantasy. Overall, Cornered: 15 Stories of Bullying and Defiance gives readers an intensely personal and unsettling look at the problem, and will hopefully move them to do more than just say, “It Gets Better,” and join in the battle against it.