There’s a certain excitement that a die-hard reader feels when they discover a new author that has promise. That’s how I felt when I was offered the opportunity to do an exclusive cover reveal for Gregory Scott Katsoulis’ upcoming release All Rights Reserved on the Harlequin TEEN imprint.
Here’s a quick summary to bring you up to speed:
Could you survive in a world where your every phrase and move are copyrighted, patented or trademarked? In the city of Portland, Vermaine, and all across the globe, speech isn’t free. Every word you speak will cost you—”Sorry” is a flat $10. Every nod and scream costs $0.99 per second. Even gestures of affection cost money. Lawyers are the richest profession in this society, constantly profiting from censorship that disproportionately targets the poor. Fifteen-year-old Speth Jime is no exception. She’s preparing to deliver her Last Day speech and celebrate her transition into adulthood, pledging her allegiance to the corporate brands that might one day help her rise up from poverty.
But when Speth’s friend Beecher commits suicide rather than work off his family’s crippling debt, something inside her breaks. What’s worse, she can’t even legally express her grief without being charged a fortune. Backed into a corner, Speth finds a loophole: Rather than read her speech— rather than say anything at all—she closes her mouth and vows never to speak again. Speth’s unexpected defiance of tradition sparks a media frenzy that inspires others to follow in her footsteps and threatens to destroy her, her family and the entire city around them.
If you’re like me, you may have read “Harlequin” above and imagined this story would fall into the Romantic Thriller category. When I first spoke to the publisher I was unfamiliar with the Harlequin TEEN imprint and wanted to know more. I was pleased to discover that Harelequin TEEN is aiming to be a force to be reckoned with in the young adult fiction arena, offering a variety of exciting and edgy fiction titles to engage young readers. Since its start in 2009, Harlequin TEEN has offered a taste of just about every genre young readers are clamoring for: paranormal, dystopian, contemporary, fantasy, literary, romance, horror, and historical. I’m excited to see how this imprint grows and am happy to see another major force in the publishing industry working to deliver quality fiction for young adults.
Without further ado, feast your eyes on the cover of All Rights Reserved, due out in August of 2017…
