Skyship Academy: Crimson Rising - Out Now!!

Today I'm going to forego the music and pimp myself. Yes, pimp myself.

The reason being... my second book is out now! If you've read my previous book, SKYSHIP ACADEMY: THE PEARL WARS, you'll know that it was only the first in a series. Now, the story's continued in SKYSHIP ACADEMY: CRIMSON RISING. After months of work, it's finally available for people to read! Just let me bask in the moment for a day or two :)

Here's the blurb from the back cover, as well as some snippets of pre-release reviews from advanced readers:

Following their dramatic showdown in Seattle, Jesse Fisher and Cassius Stevenson find their world's been turned inside out. The faculty at Skyship Academy is keeping Jesse a prisoner in his own home, fearful of his influence over Pearls. And Cassius, once a loyal Pearlhound for the Unified Party, has been pushed into hiding, fearful of his government's retaliation.

When Jesse smuggles a mysterious red Pearl onboard the Academy, he sets loose a destructive chain of events, which lead him to a reunion with Cassius and a confrontation with Theo -- a bloodthirsty Pearlhound with a dangerous secret.

But a larger threat looms in the stars. An enemy is gathering, with plans to exterminate the entire human race. And Jesse and Cassius might just be the lynch pins that trigger mankind's destruction.

"Nick James has managed quite a feat. He's pulled off the literary equivalent of The Empire Strikes Back."

-- Stephen, Goodreads review

"This is another novel I could not put down. The combination of science fiction and dystopia is flawless, and the characters are very well developed."

-- Anja, Goodreads review

"The concept is just so fresh and unique that you can't help but to enjoy it."

-- Ny, Goodreads review

"I see this series as one of those rare gems, and think everyone should read it."

-- The Book Cellar

Buy the book:

Amazon | Indiebound | Barnes & Noble | Flux

Read the first few chapters!

A Vote Is In Order!

Hey readers!
As you know, in addition to running this blog, I'm a young adult author (see book pic to the right of this post).

Well, my book, SKYSHIP ACADEMY: THE PEARL WARS is in a March Madness competition with other sci-fi reads for best sci-fi book of the year. It's gone through preliminaries and is now in the bracket round.

It's the third vote down. Mind casting one for the book? Thanks in advance (I'm a competitive guy)!

Link to vote

An X-factor Prediction and a Picture

Okay, so these two things really don't go together, but I wanted to post them both anyway:

First, X-factor. No, not the horrendous wasted-opportunity-times-1,000 US version (seriously, is Nicole Scherzinger the worst judge in talent show history?). I'm talking about the UK version, which ends this weekend. I'll be away all Saturday so Sunday's going to be quite the marathon of finale goodness. Although this year's crop of contestants haven't been my favorite (excluding Kitty), I do genuinely like two of the three acts in the final.



If either Little Mix or Amelia win, I'll be a very happy viewer. Sadly, I'm not sure that's going to happen. Marcus has seemed unstoppable for sometime now. He fills that non-threatening, dull-as-dishwater male contestant mold that viewers seem to like so much (see: Matt Cardle, Joe McElderry, Leon Jackson). If he wins, I fear it's another backstep for the series. I don't think he'll be big in the music industry and, while I'm sure he's very nice, he's the least interesting of the three left.

My prediction for the weekend:
Winner: Marcus
Runner-up: Little Mix
Third: Amelia

If I had my way:
Winner: Little Mix or Amelia
Third: Marcus

We'll see. I'm hoping for a surprise, but I've learned not to get my hopes up when it comes to winners in this show.

In other news, if you haven't yet grabbed a copy of my debut novel, Skyship Academy: The Pearl Wars, you've got a chance to win one here! There's also an interview and this kickass Men In Black inspired picture:



My year-end countdowns start in a week and a few days, so next week I'll begin the Countdown to the Countdowns! Yes, you read that right. It's gonna be fun... I've got some great stuff planned.

Skyship Academy is out now!!

Today is the big day! After years of writing and pursuing publication, my very first book, SKYSHIP ACADEMY: THE PEARL WARS, is released today! Whew! It still doesn't seem like it's really happening. Given that it's the book's b-day, let me indulge in one major post...

Here's the blurb from the back cover, as well as some snippets of pre-release reviews already received!

A devastated Earth's last hope is found in Pearls: small, mysterious orbs that fall from space and are capable of supplying enough energy to power entire cities. Battling to control the Pearls are the Skyship dwellers--political dissidents who live in massive ships in the Earth's stratosphere--and the corrupt Surface government.

Jesse Fisher, a Skyship slacker, and Cassius Stevenson, a young Surface operative, cross paths when they both venture into forbidden territory in pursuit of Pearls. Their chance encounter triggers an unexpected reaction, endowing each boy with remarkable--and dangerous--abilities that their respective governments would stop at nothing to possess.

Enemies thrust together with a common goal, Jesse and Cassius make their way to the ruins of Seattle to uncover the truth about their new powers, the past they didn't know they shared, and a shocking secret about the Pearls.

"Skyship Academy is one of those books you'll read straight through if at all possible. I absolutely devoured it from page one. And even though the story itself kept me captivated, I think the characters became the part I Ioved the most. A definite must read!"
--James Dashner, New York Times bestselling author of THE MAZE RUNNER and The 13th Reality series

"Skyship Academy is the perfect book for teens that like science fiction."
-- sljteen

"...fast-paced adventure... delivers solid action sequences throughout..."
--Publisher's Weekly

"The Pearl Wars is a rare gem of a book that will keep readers on the edge of their seat and blow their minds with the startling conclusion."
-- Wicked Awesome Books

With its original premise and fantastic cast of characters, The Pearl Wars will be a book you will not want to miss."
-- The Book Cellar

And all the important links:
Website
Facebook Fan Page
Goodreads Page
Buy at: Amazon (us/ca/uk/kindle), Barnes & Noble, Flux, Indiebound

And then there's this. If you're free during this time, come watch me in what is sure to be an awkward answering of webcam questions! Just kidding. Hopefully. (click here for the link)



Finally, as if that wasn't enough, I've been doing a blog tour the past week that has been delving deeper into the world of the book, my writing process and cool stuff like that. Here are the posts:

SKYSHIP ACADEMY BLOG TOUR 2011

Day One
Death Books and Tea — 10 Things You Didn't Know About SKYSHIP ACADEMY
Laura’s Review Bookshelf — On the Fringes: The Fringes

Day Two
Frenzy Of Noise — Character Interview: Jesse Fisher
Books, Sweets and Other Treats — On the Fringes: Meet Jesse

Day Three
Books Complete Me — Guest Post: World-building

Day Four
Emily’s Reading Room — Book Review

Day Five
Poisoned Rationality — Author interview
Overflowing Shelf—On the Fringes: The Skyship Community

Day Six
Reading Fever — Character Interview: Cassius Stevenson
The Book Cellar — On the Fringes: Meet Cassius

Day Seven
Into the Morning — Guest Post: Revision
Wicked Awesome Books — On the Fringes: The Unified Party

Day Eight
The Book Smugglers — Book Review
Modge Podge Bookshelf — On the Fringes: Do you have what it takes?

Day Nine
Frenzy of Noise — Video Wrap-up (forthcoming)

Which Skyship Academy Student are you?

Only nine days until the book is released (though you can get it now on Amazon). There will be a music post tomorrow, I promise, but I thought it would be fun to link to this quiz today. Take it and tell me in the comments which character you get! (I got Avery)

SKYSHIP Quiz

Skyship Academy: Available Online NOW!

As of this morning, a number of online retailers received SKYSHIP ACADEMY: THE PEARL WARS (my debut YA sci-fi/adventure novel, if you're a new reader) and are ready to ship it. Online purchasers should receive it before it's even in stores. Aaaghh, it's a real book now!

Here are a few of the places it's available today:
Amazon

Barnes & Noble (still displaying an old cover)

And around the world, for preorder:
Amazon (UK)
Amazon (Canada)

And here's the back cover summary again. Also, don't forget to read the first three chapters online for free!

A devastated Earth's last hope is found in Pearls: small, mysterious orbs that fall from space and are capable of supplying enough energy to power entire cities. Battling to control the Pearls are the Skyship dwellers—political dissidents who live in massive ships in the Earth's stratosphere—and the corrupt Surface government.

Jesse Fisher, a Skyship slacker, and Cassius Stevenson, a young Surface operative, cross paths when they both venture into forbidden territory in pursuit of Pearls. Their chance encounter triggers an unexpected reaction, endowing each boy with remarkable—and dangerous—abilities that their respective governments would stop at nothing to possess.

Enemies thrust together with a common goal, Jesse and Cassius make their way to the ruins of Seattle to uncover the truth about their new powers, the past they didn't know they shared, and a shocking secret about the Pearls.

"A definite must-read!"—JAMES DASHNER, New York Times bestselling author of The Maze Runner

Skyship Academy: The Pearl Wars - First Three Chapters

Just a quick note to let you know that you can now read the first three chapters of my debut YA novel, on sale September 8th or available for presale here. If you like sci-fi/adventure/action, this one's for you!

Click to read the chapters here.

Skyship Academy: The Music - Day Five

It's the final day for SKYSHIP music! Today I'm focusing on another of Jesse's closest friends aboard the Academy but also one that can often rub him the wrong way:

EVA RODRIGUEZ

Who: fifteen-year-old trainee at the Academy ** highly knowledgeable about training expectations and procedures ** very competitive, and definitely more athletic/aggressive than Jesse

Songs:

Surferosa - The Future
Eva's songs are more in-your-face than anyone else's this week. She's a definite soldier and grade-A student, but also buys into the procedures and hierarchy of the Academy and the government as a whole. Always eager for an opportunity to advance her skills, she is optimistic in the ability of students like her to make a difference. This song, which combines aggression and passion, would be the kind of music to pump Eva up before battle.



Set Fire Run - Destroy! Destroy!
Jesse's indecision can drive Eva crazy. More often than not, she's pushing him into action when all he wants to do is hesitate. As brilliant as she is, Eva can sometimes get tunnel vision, especially during training missions. The straightforward battle cry of this track is a perfect representation of her worldview when she gets in a "battle" frame of mind.



Preorder the book here!
And find out more by joining the facebook group

Skyship Academy: The Music - Day Four

Day Four! Today we're staying at the Academy and focusing on one of Jesse's two closest friends aboard the school:

SKANDAR HARRIS

Who: fifteen-year-old trainee at the Academy ** easygoing, with a love for training scenarios and battles ** speaks with remnants of a British accent - Jesse calls it a "Skandar accent"

Songs:

The Galvatrons - The First Starfighter
Given his obsession with battle (or at least what he thinks battle would be like), this track is definitely something that would appeal to Skandar. It chronicles the plight and eventual victory of the starfighter in the title. But more than that, it does so in such an overblown, epic, romanticized way. This is definitely how Skandar sees war, and deep down he'd love to be like the victorious homecomers in this track. This leads him to some rash decisions.



Battles - Atlas
I include this song because I think it's something that Skandar would totally listen to. It's simple, repetitive and kind of ridiculous. He's not exactly a scholar, but he makes up for it in positivity, loyalty and a bit of a strange side. The lyrics are so unintelligible, yet I can see him being interested in deciphering their meaning in the hope that it would lead him to some sort of glory.



Preorder the book here!
And find out more by joining the facebook group

Skyship Academy: The Music - Day Three

Day Three is upon us! Today, I'll focus on Avery, the "unattainable" (as he puts it) girl of Jesse's dreams:

AVERY WICKSEN

Who: seventeen-year-old post-grad transferred to Skyship Academy several years ago ** works in the ship's library after failing to attain Pearl agent-status ** known for sneaking around the ship, looking for trouble

Songs:

Pacific! - Break Your Social System
Avery's selections are more laid-back and downtempo to reflect her personality. Her "whatever" attitude to life is the opposite of Jesse's more worried approach. She's also very much the rebel on Skyship Academy, refusing to blindly follow the rules and regulations. The Academy is home to many dark nooks and crannies, perfect for sneaking around. She takes full advantage, sometimes to her and Jesse's detriment. This track highlights that rebellious personality.



Donkeyboy - Sometimes
There's also a darker side to Avery. She's haunted by her past -- a past Jesse knows very little about. This is what initiates their friendship. As pitiful as Jesse can be sometimes, he's the only one on the Academy that can make her laugh. The lyrics in the chorus of this song, especially, describe the essence of this relationship (a relationship Jesse wishes would go further - Avery is a little more vague about her own wishes).



Preorder the book here!
And find out more by joining the facebook group

Skyship Academy: The Music - Day Two

Time for Day Two of the Skyship Academy character music week! Yesterday I focused on one of the Academy's trainees. Now it's time to journey down to the surface and talk about who's working on the other side of the Pearl Wars:

CASSIUS STEVENSON

Who: fifteen-year-old training with the Unified Party to become a Pearlhound ** the favorite student of head honcho Madame, who considers him an adopted son ** after he comes in contact with Jesse Fisher, something inside him explodes... literally

Songs:

Spleen United - My Tribe
More than anything, the lyrics of this encompass the cold war between the two factions of the book -- Skyshippers and those living on the Surface. Whereas Jesse doesn't completely buy into it, Cassius's world is dominated by military operations, subterfuge and the constant threat of insurgencies from multiple enemies. As the book opens, he definitely has a cocky, us-against-them mentality, which leads him to actions he could very possibly regret later on. The loyalty to his "company" (in this case, his Madame and his fellow Pearlhounds) has been ingrained deeply.

My Tribe by popantipop

Carpark North - Burn It
The complicated relationship between Cassius and his mother figure, the ruthless Madame, forms the crux of his story line and the majority of his motivation throughout the story. Things reach a head as the action progresses, and this song perfectly illustrates his mental space when they do. Also, the title is appropriate, given the events of the third chapter (I'll let you see for yourself when you read the book, though!)



Preorder the book here!
And find out more by joining the facebook group

Skyship Academy: The Music - Day One

It's hard for me to even process, but my debut novel, SKYSHIP ACADEMY: THE PEARL WARS, will be released in just over a month (Sept. 8th, to be exact). In honor of that, all this week is going to be a fusion of the largest portions (non-day-job) of my life: music and writing. Each day I'll take a character from the book and post two songs that not only sound futuristic and awesome, but fit that character as well. Should be fun! And today, we start with one of the main characters:

JESSE FISHER

Who: fifteen-year-old Skyship Academy trainee ** slacker/klutz deemed all but hopeless by the faculty ** mysterious past may lead to a truth both powerful and dangerous

Songs:

Pnau - The Truth
Much of Jesse's past is shrouded in mystery. His parents were killed in an Academy mission when he was only a few years old. The faculty of the Academy act strangely around him, and he's never sure who he can trust completely. This, understandably, leads to a lot of confusion, self-doubt and frustration. The lyrics to this track express all of this, but the giant, aggressive melody does it one better by truly summing up all the feelings swirling around in his mind.

The Truth by Pnau

The Sound of Arrows - Into The Clouds
Because of the isolated nature of the Academy, Jesse often expresses a fantasy of breaking free and leaving for good (preferably with his crush, Avery Wicksen - more on her later this week). Of course, the teachers and staff aren't about to let this happen. This song has the wistful sound to it that compliments the first track as well as presenting more of the optimistic, adventurous side to his personality. Plus, I think the general feel is very Skyshippy.

Sound of Arrows - Into The Clouds by jonnylightning

Preorder the book here!
And find out more by joining the facebook group

Skyship Academy has a new Cover!!

And it's glorious!



A reminder: the book's out on September 8th
And "like" the Facebook page if you haven't already

Win an ARC of SKYSHIP ACADEMY!

Pausing music posts for a moment, I wanted to announce that you can enter to win an Advanced Readers Copy of my debut novel, Skyship Academy, over at my goodreads page. It's only open to readers from North America, but if that's you, go on over and enter! The contest is open through May.

Enter here!

And a reminder, if you haven't already, to head over and "like" the facebook fan page so you can stay updated on the latest news :)

Skyship Academy - Presale

Hey, good readers! Just a friendly note to let you know that my debut YA novel, SKYSHIP ACADEMY: THE PEARL WARS is now available on Amazon for presale. I promise I won't be bombarding you with advertisements on a regular basis (this is a music blog, after all), but if you want more information and this post gets buried, just click on the cover image in the corner of the blog. It'll be up for awhile...

And on a personal note, seeing my book on a site like Amazon is definitely a dream come true. It's one of those weird things that make it all seem real.

Below is the cover (again) and the blurb from my publisher:

A devastated Earth’s last hope is found in Pearls: small, mysterious orbs that fall from space, and are capable of supplying enough energy to power entire cities. Battling to control the Pearls are the Skyship dwellers—political dissidents who live in massive ships in the Earth’s stratosphere—and the corrupt Surface government.

Jesse Fisher, a Skyship brat, and Cassius Stevenson, a young Surface operative, cross paths when they both venture into forbidden territory in pursuit of Pearls. Their chance encounter triggers an unexpected reaction, endowing each boy with remarkable—and dangerous—abilities that their respective governments would stop at nothing to possess. Enemies thrust together with a common goal, Jesse and Cassius make their way to the ruins of Seattle to uncover the truth about their new powers, the past they didn’t know they shared, and a shocking secret about the Pearls.

“Skyship Academy is one of those books you’ll read straight through if at all possible. I absolutely devoured it from page one. And even though the story itself kept me captivated, I think the characters became the part I Ioved the most. A definite must read!”

–James Dashner, New York Times bestselling author of THE MAZE RUNNER and THE 13th REALITY series

Here's the Amazon link.
You can also preorder the book directly from my publisher, Flux.

Skyship Academy - The Cover!

No music post today, because I've got something much more exciting. After three years of writing, revising, hunting for a publisher, etc etc, my debut young adult novel will be released this September. And today, I get to reveal the gorgeous cover.

So here's the first book in the series, Skyship Academy: The Pearl Wars. I'll have preorder links on the blog when they become available, but for now you can find more information on my newly launched website, my personal facebook page, or the facebook fan page I've set up for the book (go ahead and "like" it! You know you want to :)



Short blurb: When a fifteen-year-old slacker discovers that he has the power to control Pearls – fragments of space debris that are a dying Earth’s most important energy source – the government’s forces work to capture him.

My Other Gig

The link's been hanging out in my blogroll for awhile now, but for those of you interested in fantasy and sci-fi young adult books, I post a couple times a month on The Spectacle, a blog run by writers of the genre. This week we're talking about movie adaptations, and today I posted a review round-up (similar to this blog's Pop Blitz) of movies.

Also, I did an interview with them a couple of months ago about my upcoming book, Skyship Academy.

Skyship Academy

Ever since I was a kid, I've been writing stories. As I grew up, I realized that story-writing could be more than a hobby, and about six years ago I started writing seriously with publication a distant, seemingly unattainable dream. Thousands of pages of unused manuscripts later, I began tackling the business side of publishing, seeking out an agent in the summer of 2008. As the new year began, I took the next step and found representation for my novel. Eight months later and I'm thrilled to announce that I've signed a two-book deal with Flux for the first two installments of my Skyship Academy series. The first book will be released in 2011!

I write for teens and kids, and have always focused on that audience. It's what I personally like to read as well, and a place where I can be truly imaginative without having to explain myself. Skyship Academy is a fast-paced sci-fi adventure, inspired by some of my favorite authors in the genre - Eoin Colfer, Anthony Horowitz and James Patterson among many, many others. Here's a very brief summary/teaser taken from the official announcement on Publishers Marketplace:

SKYSHIP ACADEMY
When a fifteen-year-old slacker discovers that he has the power to control Pearls - fragments of space debris that are a dying Earth's most important energy source - the government's forces work to capture him.

As with any book release, there's a lot of work to do between now and publication, but I'll keep you guys updated throughout the process, as well as link to my author site when it's up and ready. And, as always, you can follow me on twitter for updates on this and other little day-to-day things that I like to pretend are one hundred times wittier and interesting than they actually are.

And a huge thank you to this blog's loyal readers. It's been a struggle at times to keep everything up and running this year as revisions and editing knock down my door, and I imagine it'll only get busier, but rest assured Alienhits is going nowhere. I love my pop music too much!