Realms Magazine has Officially Released!

Hello, Travelers!

Do you know the significance of May 1? Well, if you've been following us for a while, you should know it's a special date because it's the release of the first issue of Realms Young Adult Fantasy Literary Magazine! Join us in celebration of thirteen titles, various works by several artists, and of course, the team that put it all together! A special thanks goes out to our creator, Daphne Tuccitto, our editorial consultant, Lara Bessette, our layout designer, Brandon Griggs, and our cover artist, Laura Hackney.
          May 1 is also a special day because it's our editorial consultant's birthday (but you didn't hear that from us!). Happy birthday, Lara!
          If you like the design work you see in our magazine, please be sure to check out Brandon's website and refer him to people you know! We are so proud of his work and absolutely love it. And, if you are impressed by the cover art by Laura Hackney, we highly encourage to look at her other works on her website.
         The magazine wouldn't have been possible without the following contributors:
       
          (writers)
          Elizabeth J.M. Walker, "The Sea Rider"
          Brittany Valdez,  Dragon's Roar, Part One "Stained"
          Kimberly Hunt, "Change"
          Alex Carrigan, "The Follower"
          J.N. Race, The Lost Remnant, "Chapter Seven"
          Madelaine Formica, "Revenge"
          Whitney Emeigh, "Mira 'the Marred' "
          Grace O'Rourke, "A Dash of Illusion"
          Lara Bessette, "The Fateful Swim"
          Cam M. Sato, "Grim Grimoire"
          Marshall Highet, Modified, "Chapter One"
          Kaitlin Hillerich, "The Parade of Painted Elephants"
          Daphne Tuccitto, "The Raven King"

          (artists)
          Lauren Tyrell
          Kirstie Guerette
          Leanna Crossan
          Laura Hackney
          Noah Drayton
          Micaela Jawor
          Alex Germek

          Thank you to everyone who has turned this dream into a reality. If you are interested in reading the magazine, click here for issue no. 1. Don't forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr for updates about the magazine and our contributors.

          Now go forth and find the fantastical fixes for your supernatural cravings!

Realms

Young Adult Book Festivals

Hello, everyone!

Have you ever been to a young adult book festival? There are a few really popular ones, and then more localized fairs! We want to start a list that we can share with everyone so you know which festivals are near you. Then, hopefully, you'll sign up for the next one.

If you know of any YA book festivals near you, comment below with the name and state. Let's grow this list together!

YALLFEST: Every year, YALLFEST takes place in Charleston, SC. It's a weekend-long event where a lineup of authors, booksellers, and more hold panels, readings, and other events in honor of young adult books. Many popular authors make appearances and signings. If you're in the area, be sure to check it out! This year's author appearances will be announced in June. Visit the website for details on last year's event to see what you can expect this year!

YALLWEST: This year's YALLWEST took place last weekend April 11 & 12 in Santa Monica. If you went, you should tell us all about it! YALLWEST is the west coast version of YALLFEST, in case it wasn't obvious from the name. You can read more of last weekend's event on their website and learn about the events they host so you can plan on attending next year.

Texas Teen Book Festival: This year's Texas Teen Book Fest is Saturday, September 26 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at St. Edward's University. It's free and open to the public. This year, they are also featuring a writing contest hosted by Delacorte Press! You can read the guidelines here.

Teen Book Con: The Teen Book Convention in Houston, TX took place on April 11 this year. For more info on the Con, you can visit their website and check in for information on next year's con! Admission to this event is free and it hosts a whole slew of popular authors.

YA Fest: The 2015 YA Fest in Pennsylvania will be hosted at the Palmer Branch of Easton Area Public Library on Saturday, October 10! The author line-up will be announced soon, so make sure to frequent the website for more details. For those of you who are also interested in Middle Grade novels and authors, there will also be a YA FEST JUNIOR at the Bethlehem Area Public Library on April 25, so mark your calendars!

Teen Book Festival: The 10th annual Greater Rochester Teen Book Festival takes place in Rochester, NY on May 16 at Nazareth College! For more details, visit the website. It is a free event with this year's lineup include big name authors like Charles Benoit, Cinda Williams Chima, Gayle Forman, Sarah J. Maas, and many more!

NYC Teen Author Festival: The NYC Teen Author Festival took place on March 15-23 this year, but you can visit the website for more information about the festival. Be sure to check in next year for details on when it takes place and who will be there!



Have you been to any of these book festivals? Tell us about your experiences below or add other teen book fairs you've been to!

Realms

How to Hook your Reader Series

Hello, readers!

We hope your weekend has been a truly fantastic and magical one. Start any enticing books or stories? What was your reaction when you read the first line? Does that make or break a story for you? For us, the answer is yes. Before we purchase or borrow a book or story, we always read the first line. If it doesn't hook us from the start, how can it promise to hook us until the end?
          Today's post is all about first lines and how they impact a story. First lines set the mood of your story, the writing style, and, most importantly, should grab your reader immediately. What makes them want to read on?
          With this in mind, we want to start a series of images and lines from Young Adult Fantasy books, novellas, and stories that are examples of outstanding hooks. To be the best writer you can be, you must read in your genre. If you read or write YA Fantasy, then this series may help you in a jam. So pay attention!
          We also want your help. After all, the more the merrier! We haven't read every YA Fantasy book under the sun, so if you know a great first line, comment below! It doesn't need to be deep or soul-changing, just something that makes you want to read on.
          Our #HookSeriesYA will only be featured on our Twitter and Tumblr pages. Occasionally we may post updates to Facebook. If you have any suggestions or questions, comment below or email us at realms.litmag@gmail.com with the subject "YA Hook."

Realms