OMG NEW BOOK DEAL or SPECIALSAUCE REVEALED!!!

THE SHORT VERSION:

Children’s: Young Adult

Author of THE NEAR WITCH Victoria Schwab’s THE ARCHIVED, about a teenage girl who must return the restless, ghost-like Histories of the dead to their rightful place in a labyrinthine supernatural library known as the Archive; when more Histories begin to wake and escape, she must stop the doors between the worlds of the living and dead from breaking open, all without falling victim to a beguiling History who is more human – and more disarmingly attractive – than the others, to Abby Ranger at Disney-Hyperion, by Holly Root at Waxman Literary Agency (World English).

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THE LONG VERSION:

So, remember that epic Branson trip?

Well, if I weren’t frazzled enough by the presence of so many AMAZING writers in one place, I was also on submission to my incredible editor at Disney*Hyperion.

In fact, I was supposed to hear before I left. But circumstances (such as evil winter weather) kept delaying things, and before I knew it I was bundled on a couch beneath a severed moose head, drinking my weight in gin and tonics and staring at my cell phone.

In fact, as the days wore on, I considered making a drinking game of it. Every time a fellow writer walked past my huddled form and asked if I’d heard, I would take a shot. I settled instead of keeping a drink in hand at all times.

And then! On the very last day…I got the call.

I can’t tell you how cool it was to be able to celebrate with 23 other authors. To squee with agentmate and crit partner (who put up with SO much of my angst) Myra, to get a celebratory hug from Tessa, or a toast from Carrie, or a congrats from any and all of the amazing authors on that trip.

And then I had to keep it quiet!!! Which was HARD. Especially because a good portion of my NYC trip–certainly one of the most exciting portions–involved meetings and brainstorming sessions and coffee dates and cocktails with Holly and Abby in which we discussed SPECIALSAUCE and all that we dreamed it could be.

SO. What is SPECIALSAUCE???

Children’s: Young Adult

Author of THE NEAR WITCH Victoria Schwab’s THE ARCHIVED, about a teenage girl who must return the restless, ghost-like Histories of the dead to their rightful place in a labyrinthine supernatural library known as the Archive; when more Histories begin to wake and escape, she must stop the doors between the worlds of the living and dead from breaking open, all without falling victim to a beguiling History who is more human – and more disarmingly attractive – than the others, to Abby Ranger at Disney-Hyperion, by Holly Root at Waxman Literary Agency (World English).

Thank you, Agent Holly, for putting up with so much crazy in such a short period of time, and for trying to keep me calm through it all. And, of course, for being a death kitten.

Thank you, Editor Abby, for introducing me to City Bakery peanut butter cookies and then spending two hours with me talking through plot, character, motive, dead kids in drawers, psychology, existential crises, mortality statistics, and the general epicness of librarians. Your excitement for this project feeds and fuels my own.

Thank you Myra, Branson crew, Team Sparkle, and the YARebels for cheering with me privately, and thank you bloggers, authors, and online friends for being epically awesome. I cannot wait to continue my journey in such great company.