Month9Books Friday Reveal | “Serpentine” by Cindy Pon a new release for #DiverseSFF #readers who appreciate wicked epic #Fantasy yet in a #YALit world!

Posted Thursday, 21 May, 2015 by jorielov , , 0 Comments

Month9Books Friday Reveal Team by Chapter by Chapter Blog Tours

As per my return to the Month9 Friday Reveals, I am happily on the look-out for wicked new stories about to hit bookshelves as much as celebrating the authors who are being published by Month9Books! When I caught sight of today’s reveal author [ Cindy Pon ] my first thought was — wait a second! I know who this is because I remember tweeting a s/o to her whilst her ARCs were being shipped! Lovely print edition ARCs of whom I had hoped would find a happy return of readerly support!

Let me share the short exchange with you:

Now when it comes to icon speak on Twitter I’m at a loss but when a creature is preempted by a heart, I knew it was a compliment! Imagine my happiness in being able to feature the *Cover Reveal!* for the same book I was happily tweeting out a bit of joy to the author earlier this month!? I love when serendipity plays a central role in our lives, because we truly are all connected and sometimes things are meant to be before we even realise the why and how we find the authors and stories which alight on our paths.

Rainbow Digital Clip Art Washi Tape made by The Paper Pegasus. Purchased on Etsy by Jorie and used with permission.

Serpentine by Cindy Pon

Published By: Month9Books (@Month9Books)

on 8th September, 2015

Available Formats: Ebook | Public Library | Add to Riffle

{ although the book is only listed @ the library, I am sure this will populate at time of release! }

Converse on Twitter via:

{ note I created a new tag for the book by adding YA to the title for direct reference! }

#SerpentineYA, #CindyPon, #YALit, #DiversityInYA, & #DiverseSFF

#M9BFridayReveals, & #Month9Books

Rainbow Digital Clip Art Washi Tape made by The Paper Pegasus. Purchased on Etsy by Jorie and used with permission.

BOOK SYNOPSIS:

SERPENTINE is a sweeping fantasy set in the ancient Kingdom of Xia and inspired by the rich history of Chinese mythology.

Lush with details from Chinese folklore, SERPENTINE tells the coming of age story of Skybright, a young girl who worries about her growing otherness. As she turns sixteen, Skybright notices troubling changes. By day, she is a companion and handmaid to the youngest daughter of a very wealthy family. But nighttime brings with it a darkness that not even daybreak can quell.

When her plight can no longer be denied, Skybright learns that despite a dark destiny, she must struggle to retain her sense of self – even as she falls in love for the first time.

Cindy PonAuthor Biography:

Cindy Pon is the author of Silver Phoenix (Greenwillow, 2009), which was named one of the Top Ten Fantasy and Science Fiction Books for Youth by the American Library Association’s Booklist, and one of 2009′s best Fantasy, Science Fiction and Horror by VOYA. The sequel to Silver Phoenix, titled Fury of the Phoenix, was released in April 2011. Serpentine, the first title in her next Xia duology, will be published by Month9Books in September 2015. She is the co-founder of Diversity in YA with Malinda Lo and on the advisory board of We Need Diverse Books. Cindy is also a Chinese brush painting student of over a decade.

Site | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | GoodReads | Etsy

Diversity in YA: Site | Tumblr | Twitter

Rainbow Digital Clip Art Washi Tape made by The Paper Pegasus. Purchased on Etsy by Jorie and used with permission.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

The illustration on the cover eludes to a few interesting observations, such as the time of day the character is revealling themselves to us, the locale of choice, and the fact it would appear burnt incense smoke is changing the colour of her eyes! OR are her eyes adapting to the differences in light being visible akin to salamanders who have different sight from other animals? One brown, one green eye can elude to a special ancestral inheritance as much as it can be a prism of a clue towards an innate ‘special supernaturally inclined gift’ as the eyes themselves serve as a mark of awareness towards that end.

On the Riffle page for this novel, the cover is etched through a lens of blue, where everything is a bit more toned down and etching out from the foreground into the background. It’s not quite as powerful as the cover being featured here today, but it has it’s own unique appeal too. I am not sure if that was one of the original covers or a mistake to be viewed in lieu of this one, but I noticed it didn’t have the ‘dramatic’ intrigue as this one does. Instead, the blue ebbings make me wonder if the pulse of the novel is more ethereal than contemporary, and illusionary more than tangible.

Skybright sounds like an incredible young woman, who has a path that will not be easily traversed nor accepted, but she is one who is align with her destiny. One of the beauties of Fantasy (either for YA or Adult) is how it tackles the harder hitting roads some of us must travel either for growth or for uniting ourselves with the path we were always meant to take in our lives. Epic Fantasy has held a special place in my heart because I love nestling inside the journey and becoming one with the lead character as they weather not only the difficulties that arise but how they have to internalise their charted course.

In regards to the new releases on the blog for Diversity in YA, I already earmarked off the following to read: Under A Painted Sky by Stacey Lee; Ink and Ashes by Valynne Maetani and Written in the Stars by Aisha Saeed. I had planned to host an interview with Ms Saeed earlier this Spring 2015 around the time of her debut release, however, I am now hoping to re-schedule her appearance over Summer. Imagine my wicked joy in re-discovering Ms Pon and her Diversity In YA website!? The only thing that surprised me was there isn’t a badge on the #DiversityInYA site for book bloggers to place on their blogs to show their support?! It would have been quite keen to have discovered such a badge for today’s post!

When it comes to Chinese legend, lore, and historical tapestries of tradition a good introduction to what I appreciate in this regard can be read on my review of The Ghost Bride!

On my future plans to read this title & others by Month9:

It is my hope this will become a print release months after the ebook drops, thereby giving me something to look forward to ILL’ing once it’s available to request! After my relocation this Summer, I will be sorting out a list of Month9Books to submit as new purchase requests, as I will be starting from scratch to re-establish myself at a new local library, as I will be breaking ties with my current one who has blessed me tenfold over the past seven years. I will continue to advocate for public libraries and the benefit of using them as frequently as you shoppe at Indie book shoppes. A note on my patron joy in recommending books to libraries was recently blogged.

I can share today, as I ran an advanced search by publisher [ for Month9 ] as well as individual searches per author and books; none of the titles I wish to read in the future are in my future library’s catalogue! I look forward to introducing the titles to them as much as I look forward to ILL’ing the titles.

Rainbow Digital Clip Art Washi Tape made by The Paper Pegasus. Purchased on Etsy by Jorie and used with permission.

This FRIDAY REVEAL is courtesy of:

Chapter by Chapter Blog Tours badge

on behalf of Month9Books (@month9books)

Return on 29th May 2015 | during the blog tour,

as my guest post by the author Donna Galanti will be featured!

Before you have the chance to read my stop check out the rest of the blog tour:

Joshua and the Lightning Road blog tour via Chapter by Chapter Blog Tours

This post is part of my contribution to:

Month9Books Friday Reveal TeamRainbow Digital Clip Art Washi Tape made by The Paper Pegasus. Purchased on Etsy by Jorie and used with permission.

Comment Box Banner made by Jorie in Canva.

Reader Interactive Question:

What do you love the most about epic fantasy set in the Far East!? Do you like the setting or the exposure to a different cultural heritage the most?!

Do you have a library story to share about how you read Month9Books!? Don’t forget: you can borrow ebooks at your local libraries FREE of charge; therefore don’t hesitate to request ebooks if your an e-reader! Libraries are now the largest resource for non-subscription based e-book distributions in the United States.

Rainbow Digital Clip Art Washi Tape made by The Paper Pegasus. Purchased on Etsy by Jorie and used with permission.

Previously I’ve hosted an eclectic mix of Month9Books Authors, some of whom are linked below in the *Related Posts* section! You can also use the tag for the publisher ‘Month9Books’ to pull up a threaded directory of features! I have only had the pleasure to read one of their titles in print format as they do not release print copies for review; therefore all the guest author features are being hosted by me as a precursor to the day where I can ILL the books through my local library system.

Rainbow Digital Clip Art Washi Tape made by The Paper Pegasus. Purchased on Etsy by Jorie and used with permission.

 NOTE:

Similar to blog tours where I feature book reviews, as I choose to highlight an author via a Guest Post, Q&A, Interview, etc., I do not receive compensation for featuring supplemental content on my blog. I provide the questions for interviews and topics for the guest posts; wherein I receive the responses back from publicists and authors directly. I am naturally curious about the ‘behind-the-scenes’ of stories and the writers who pen them; I have a heap of joy bringing this content to my readers.

Rainbow Digital Clip Art Washi Tape made by The Paper Pegasus. Purchased on Etsy by Jorie and used with permission.

 {SOURCES: Cover art for “Serpentine” along with the author photograph & biography, the book synopsis, the individual blog tour badges, the Friday Reveal banner & badge and the Chapter by Chapter badge were all provided by Chapter by Chapter Blog Tours and used with permission. Tweets were able to be embedded by the codes provided by Twitter. Rainbow Digital Clip Art Washi Tape made by The Paper Pegasus. Purchased on Etsy by Jorie and used with permission. My Thoughts badge provided by Fun Stuff for Your Blog. Comment Box Banner made by Jorie in Canva.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2015.

Comments via Twitter:

Mentioned after #CreatureChat | 27 May 2015:

About jorielov

I am self-educated through local libraries and alternative education opportunities. I am a writer by trade and I cured a ten-year writer’s block by the discovery of Nanowrimo in November 2008. The event changed my life by re-establishing my muse and solidifying my path. Five years later whilst exploring the bookish blogosphere I decided to become a book blogger. I am a champion of wordsmiths who evoke a visceral experience in narrative. I write comprehensive book showcases electing to get into the heart of my reading observations. I dance through genres seeking literary enlightenment and enchantment. Starting in Autumn 2013 I became a blog book tour hostess featuring books and authors. I joined The Classics Club in January 2014 to seek out appreciators of the timeless works of literature whose breadth of scope and voice resonate with us all.

"I write my heart out and own my writing after it has spilt out of the pen." - self quote (Jorie of Jorie Loves A Story)

read more >> | Visit my Story Vault of Book Reviews | Policies & Review Requests | Contact Jorie

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Posted Thursday, 21 May, 2015 by jorielov in Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Book Cover | Notation on Design, Book Spotlight of E-Book (ahead of POD/print edition), Chapter by Chapter Blog Tours, China, Chinese Literature, Coming-Of Age, Compassion & Acceptance of Differences, Equality In Literature, Fantasy Fiction, Folklore and Mythology, Good vs. Evil, Historical Fiction, Illustrations for Stories, Indie Author, Indie Book Trade, Library Love, Local Libraries | Research Libraries, Month9Books, Multi-cultural Characters and/or Honest Representations of Ethnicity, Parapsychological Gifts, Stories on the Rise, Teenage Relationships & Friendships, YA Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction




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