Summer Book Conventions: El recaps BookExpo America & BookCon 2018!

Better late than never, eh?

This year I attended the final day of BookExpo America (BEA) and the two days of BookCon, which took place from June 1-3 in New York City.

This is book-lovers’ paradise– a massive convention hall filled with publishers. And most of them are really eager to sell (or give away) their upcoming releases.

But before I get to the exciting part– the ARCs, of course! (and maybe a giveaway of my own…?)– I want to share some of my experiences from the Cons.

Check it out. And don’t forget to read to the end of the post, where you might find some awesome surprises.

Interview with Rick Riordan (Plus a “Rick Riordan Presents” Giveaway!)

Recent years have seen an incredible shift in publishing towards greater inclusivity and diversity, and at the forefront of that push has been author Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson and Magnus Chase series. These books may be targeted for Middle Grade and Young Adult readers, but the stories– which follow teenagers as they interact with mythological gods– are rich with people of color, queer characters, neurodiversity, and more! These are truly books for readers of all ages.

We’re thrilled today to welcome Rick Riordan to our site to talk about the origins of Percy Jackson, the debate about what’s ‘appropriate’ in MG/YA books, and much more!

Thank you, Rick, for joining us today!

Just Love interviews the cast of SHADOWHUNTERS!

During San Diego Comic Con 2017, I sat down with the cast and crew of the Freeform hit television series Shadowhunters to ask them about the changing relationships, their amazing fans, and what it’s like to be on a GLAAD award-winning show with three prominent queer characters.

At the roundtables were Katherine McNamara (Clary), Dominic Sherwood (Jace), Alberto Rosende (Simon), Emeraude Toubia (Isabelle), Matthew Daddario (Alec), Harry Shum Jr. (Magnus), Isaiah Mustafa (Luke), and Producers Todd Slavkin, Darren Swimmer, and Matt Hastings.

We’ve combined text and video to give you a peek into the hilarious and exciting interview session at SDCC. Plus, don’t forget to check out our interview with author Cassandra Clare, the mind behind the Shadowhunters universe… and see the end of the post for a giveaway!

So BAM, let’s jump right in!

Just Love interviews CASSANDRA CLARE, author of the Shadowhunter Chronicles (+ giveaway)!

Today I’m absolutely thrilled to welcome New York Times Bestselling author Cassandra Clare to the blog, in the first of our two-part Shadowhunters interview series! Cassandra is the author of the Shadowhunter Chronicles universe, which encompasses more than two dozen books and short-story collections, four graphic novels, one film, a television series, and so much more!

Oh, and her books all have super awesome, totally kick-ass queer characters in them, fighting demons and saving the world!

Cassandra joins us this afternoon to talk about the her desire to include queer rep in her books– from Magnus and Alec, to Raphael’s on-page asexuality, and more!– as well as the work she’s put in to making sure these queer characters get their time to shine in the hit TV series!

And don’t miss Part Two of our interview… where we talk to the cast and crew of the Freeform Shadowhunters television series! Plus, check the end of the post for your chance to win a little somethin’.

Blog Tour: Blended Notes, by Lilah Suzanne

Welcome to the blog tour for Blended Notes by Lilah Suzanne! This is the third and final book in the Spotlight series, and is out now from Interlude Press!

Below you can check out an excerpt from the book, and enter to win an awesome giveaway from Interlude Press!

El Goes to Comic Con! (and gives away some of the books she got.)

A few weeks ago, I attended San Diego Comic Con for… oh, the eleventh year? Something like that. In some ways, I feel like a stereotypical old lady, shakin’ my cane and reminiscing about “back in the old days”. SDCC has evolved pretty drastically since I started attending, for better or worse, but that means every year is a new adventure! And this year I was joined for two days by JL’s very own DMac, who went on many Book Related Adventures^TM with me!

Here’s a broad overview of What I Did At Comic Con. More is to come, including some pretty damn cool surprises.

(And oh, by the way, I’m giving away some SDCC swag at the end. Y’know, if you’re into that sort of thing. AKA FREE BOOKS.)

Interview with Leigh Barudgo, author of “Six of Crows” and “Wonder Woman: Warbringer”! (Plus an amazing WONDER WOMAN GIVEAWAY!)

Today we’re talking with Leigh Bardugo, author of the bestselling Six of Crows series, the Grisha series, and the upcoming novels, Wonder Woman: Warbringer and The Language of Thorns. And for fans of Leigh’s books, read through to the end for a really amazing giveaway!

Hi Leigh, thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me today!

ARC Giveaway!

I went to BEA and BookCon at the beginning of June, and was lucky enough to pick up some *highly* anticipated ARCs! And now I’m looking to get some of these ARCs to a few lucky readers… where they belong! This contest is now closed (winners announced below), but please do check out these three amazing upcoming releases!

That’s right, I’m giving away one copy each of–

• All the Crooked Saints, by Maggie Stiefvater [signed!]
• The Girl with the Red Balloon, by Katherine Locke [signed!]
• Daughter of the Burning City, by Amanda Foody

_{(Please note that the Stiefvater ARC is not queer lit. I’m including it because the author’s previous series, The Raven Cycle, does have two queer characters in it.)}

Curious to know more about these books? Check ’em out:

Reboot Tour: Layla Reyne’s “SINGLE MALT” is On Sale!

For a few days only, Layla Reyne’s sexy and suspenseful novel, Single Malt, is only 99 cents!

This book has been called “A must read for any romantic suspense fan” (Megan Erickson, USA Today Bestselling author), and is the perfect edge-of-your-seat read for the weekend ahead!

So check it out:

Single Malt, by Layla Reyne
Series: Agents Irish and Whiskey, Book One
Publisher: Carina Press
Release Date: February 27, 2017

Just Love turns TWO!

Today is Just Love’s second birthday! We’ve officially entered whatever the blogger equivalent of “the terrible twos” is. I’m constantly amazed by how far JL has come in the last couple of years… from a tiny blog that I ran myself, to a rapidly-growing site with a fantastic group of reviewers– all of whom I’m fortunate enough to call friends. Running this blog is a labor of love, and I’m so thankful to the amazing team that works with me to keep it fun, interesting… and always hilarious.

But because it’s our birthday (and because I just got back from RT Convention with a very large stack of books), I’m thinking we should do some giveaways.

Okay, a lot of giveaways.