Thanksgiving presents!

New finished books for the holiday season.

New Stuff: The Book of Love, Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers, Lost on a Mountain in Maine!

New paperbacks: Genius Files, Pivot Point, Boundless!

To the future! Summer 2014.

In the words of Angela Chase, we had a time. 

This past summer was by far my favorite. It somehow just came together. I think I was outside almost every day. I ran, swam, rode my bike, climbed a few walls, river rafted, laughed, ate and danced in the rain at Celebrate Brooklyn each chance I got. I am lucky to have had such a summer. While it was hard to push it back inside, at work I'm already wrapping up Summer 2014. If these book covers have anything to say for the future, it's going to be another kick ass summer.

First up, Teen Fiction:

My first time working with Ms. Jody Lynn Anderson, I absolutely love these color combinations, I think they really invoke cool, creepy beautiful:

Matte finish with textured spot UV on title & boarder (by Sarah Jane Coleman)

And my second cover for Ms. Lauren Miller—The effect on this type was the happiest accident I've ever had in Photoshop. Adding in a 5th color will really help this leap off the printed page.

5 color job + matte finish with glossy spot UV

And of course, where would we be in the Republic of Texas without Wren and Callum?
Reboot 2, Rebel (I somehow keep getting away with graphic covers for this, and I love it!)

Glossy finish with matte spot UV + emboss

Ending in Middle Grade:

How are we already on Book 3 of the CASE FILE series? Doug Holgate is really bringing the fun and funk in this series. I can't love it enough: (plus you guys, an orange forest? Come on.)

Matte finish with glossy spot UV

There's a few more floaters out there but they aren't quite available to share yet. I got a awesome Neil Gaiman / Craig Russell project in the works... but that's going to be a while still.

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So I guess it's on to Winter 2015—while it's too soon to tell what will happen, I've been wearing this crown around the office a lot. It's good to be inspired for work, yes? (That's foreshadowing y'all!)

Rejoice! Jupiter Pirates are here!

It's hard to tell here but this book is crazy shiny and sparkly. It has a super cool hologram effect in real life. Awesome use of sculpt emboss and printing over silver foil. I love it!

Printed over silver foil, sculpt emboss title

And naked, if you're into that sorta thing.

Advanced Reading Copies!

Oh yea, the first set of ARE (advanced reading editions) are in for Summer 2014!

Check out the awesomely beautiful cover for VANISHING SEASON by Jodi Lynn Anderson. What a nice treat for lunch time!

Specs: Matte/textured spot UV on boarder and title

Looks like I get two copies, who needs a creepy read just in time for Halloween?

Photo by Trevillion images / hand drawn boarder by Sarah Jane Coleman 

Monday presents!

Looky what I found on my desk this morning: Case File 13: Making the Team.

Matte Finish with Spot UV

Spooky fun times.

Clean up days

My office will be moving to Battery Park this Spring. In order to prepare for the move, they have been hosting "clean up days".

I've already donated a few dozen books I don't need anymore. I can't believe what a difference it's made in my work space! Too bad there isn't a "before" picture, bit I'm quite pleased with the "after"...

Spines & Toys

Fortunately, this day is looking up!

One of the the best projects I've ever worked on in my entire life was finished and waiting for me at my desk today after lunch. This really helped curb my stupid cranky mood I was in. Wait, let's back up because a few cool things happened around lunch today.

To set the scene as to why I was so cranky: I woke up and it was raining which made me sad. It was cold even though it's the middle of August. I always get a little down this time of year because I know my weekends of going to the beach or riding my bike to various awesome places are limited. When it's cool enough for a sweater, I quickly go into "slippery slope" thinking mode and start dreading snow—which is not really snow in New York City but black gross stinky slushy stuff that people call snow. But it's still only August, so I digress.

So to cheer myself up during an unseasonable dreary day I wore my best Houston Texans shirt (yes I have more then one) to work with a super cute black and white printed skirt. This must have channeled the happy police because when I stepped outside for lunch there was an honest to God real life taco truck parked on Park Avenue. Y'all, I ordered in Spanish, and my friend Kate took a picture. Day's looking better. Thank you Texans Shirt.

Could I be any happier?

Anyway, I got back to my desk after a really nice eating-tacos-outside lunch to see this:

It's a real book!

Here it is naked:

Oh, hi little balloon!

And some interior spreads, proof!

I'm involved in another Gaiman project right now that I think I'll be equally excited about. But I know in my heart that this project will be my proudest. I remember reading the printed word document on the D train last summer and saying to myself, this is something special, this is amazingly special. I'm sad to see it finished because I guess that means it's really done. I'm happy it's finished because . . . it is wonderful.

Fortunately, The Milk comes out September 17th. If you were a weird kid or you want to channel your inner weird kid, or hell you know a weird kid, this book is a phenomenal read. I might have fallen in love with each of Skottie's illustrations just a little bit (a whole lotta bit) And I would have given anything to have read it when I was 7, and I love that I could help with it now.