Yesterday I got some terrific news: the publication date of Dagger and Coin has been moved earlier, to October 9. And Sword and Verse will now be released in paperback on September 4.
Of course this is exciting because it means that my ambitious, impatient, sarcastic, smart, determined heroine will be out in the world even sooner…but it’s also exciting because I get to announce that the book’s launch with be happening at the coolest place – the Maryland Renaissance Festival! I’ll be at signing at Page After Page Bookstore inside the festival village all day on October 13 and 14, with special Dagger and Coin launch festivities happening on Saturday, October 13. Mark your calendar! Details to come!
This winter has been full of cuteness, because we got two new adorable feline family members for Christmas:
The black and white one is Gruntle, named by my son because she is almost always content and never disgruntled – get it? The grey and white one is Mary, named after NASA engineer Mary Winston Jackson because she is independent and determined and loves to explore.
As you can imagine, this much cuteness in one household can be distracting, especially when you’re trying to get your writing done! Fortunately we still have our wise elder cat, Pancake, to keep the little ones in line:
I also just got word that my upcoming board book, Nita’s First Signs, which was due out April 3 from Familius Press, has been pushed back to June 16. The book has a unique slide-open design and lots of moving parts, so I guess the engineering required more time. I so excited about how the design and artwork and story came together for this book, and I can’t wait to share it with you! In the meantime, you can see some of the artwork in the sign demonstration video here.
The MD/DE/WV Region is pleased to host a FREE webinar, open to everyone, featuring young adult authors Kathy MacMillan, Linda Budzinski, Meg Eden, Pintip Dunn, and Christina June! This webinar is presented as part of the Read Local Challenge, which gives you the chance to win prizes by reading books by featured authors from Maryland, Delaware, Washington, D.C., and Virginia! Join us as these authors discuss their inspirations and challenges and answer your questions! A recording of the webinar will be available after the event. Please register below to receive access information for the live event or recording. Register at https://mddewv.scbwi.org/events/free-webinar-a-conversation-with-young-adult-authors/
2-day conference featuring keynotes, breakouts, and intensive workshops for creators of children’s books. Opening Keynote: James Ransome. Closing Keynote: Hena Khan. I will be facilitating the Marketing Forum as well as serving as co-chair for the conference. Find the complete schedule and registration information at https://mddewv.scbwi.org/events/2018-annual-conference/
Nerd Girl Books at AwesomeCon in Washington, D.C March 30-April 1, 2018
I am so excited to be a part of Nerd Girl Books, promoting female speculative fiction and nerdy authors, as well as female protagonists in new and familiar worlds. Authors include: Beth Woodward, Lynn Almengor, Mary Fan, Leigh Goff, Meg Eden, and me! We will also be offering a discount bundle deal with all of our books for a special price. Our books include genres of: magical realism, fantasy, urban fantasy, and contemporary.
nErDCamp NJ (Chatham, NJ), Sat, April 21, 8:00am – 3:30pm
This is a FREE EdCamp “unconference” with an exclusive focus on literacy instruction. More information and registration at http://nerdcampnj.weebly.com/ I’ll be presenting “Creating a Calmer Classroom With American Sign Language” and participating in a panel on “Author Visits Using Skype and Google Hangouts”.
Washington Writers Conference 2018, May 4-5, 2018 at the College Park Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in College Park, MD.
Today is my birthday, and I had such a great present this week: the official cover reveal of Dagger and Coin this past Thursday! Thank you so much to YA Books Central for hosting it!
For those who haven’t seen the gorgeousness yet, here it is:
Like the cover of Sword and Verse, this cover features art by Colin Anderson. I love the way he worked in elements of Soraya’s story, but in a way that reflects the design of the first book too. Don’t they look beautiful side by side?
Earlier today I finally got to announce the title of my upcoming YA novel:
I’ve been working on this book and unable to say much about it for more than two years, so it’s exciting to finally be able to share more! Here’s what I can tell you about it so far:
Dagger and Coin is due out in Fall 2018.
Dagger and Coin picks up about 30 days after the events of Sword and Verse. However, I prefer to think of it as a companion novel rather than a sequel, because it focuses on a different protagonist and can be enjoyed even if you haven’t read the first book.
The cover is just as beautiful as the cover of Sword and Verse and was done by the same artist, Colin Anderson. Hopefully I will be able to share it soon!
The main character in Dagger and Coin is Soraya Gamo, the heiress who was engaged to Mati and was all set to become queen. We saw in Sword and Verse that Soraya was much more than just a pretty rich girl, and in this book she has thrown her lot in with her former enemies in order to pursue her ambitions.
Many of the major players from Sword and Verse appear in this book, especially Raisa, Mati, and Jonis. We also get to know some minor characters from the first book better: Deshti (Raisa’s adversary in the Arnath Resistance), Alshara (Soraya’s younger sister), and Gelti Dimmin (that handsome guard captain).
Decisions made in Sword and Verse come back to haunt our characters in Dagger and Coin, particularly a big one made by Mati. Sword and Verse was about upending an unjust system; Dagger and Coin is about the messy, seemingly impossible task of constructing a better one in its place.
This book is unabashedly, fiercely feminist. In 2016, I thought, “Oh, I wish this book were out now! It’s so relevant!” In 2017, I thought the same thing. Sadly, I don’t think this story is going to get any less relevant in coming years.
I like to think of this book as a tale of a well-educated female policy wonk battling her misogynist foes. In case you are wondering about my politics. 😉
I’m just going to put this out there right now, because some people have mentioned it: Soraya and Jonis are NOT EVER going to be a couple. Just not going to happen. Soraya’s relationship with Jonis is arguably the most important one in the book, but don’t look for kissing there. Just don’t.
Look for kissing (and more) elsewhere, though. There is romance in this book, just not with Jonis.
Like Sword and Verse, Dagger and Coin can be read and enjoyed as a standalone. Of course, it also features lots of rewarding tidbits for readers of both books! And yes, if you read Dagger and Coin first, it will give you lots of spoilers for Sword and Verse, so be warned if that sort of thing bothers you. (Personally, I love spoilers, but I am weird that way.)
I’m seriously considering making myself a bingo card of all the things that Soraya will undoubtedly be called once the book is out in the world. I mean, she’s an ambitious woman, see, so of course that means she must be inviting the whole world to comment on what’s wrong with her. A few of my predictions: too proud, too strong, too passive, too emotional, too icy, too ambitious, too shrill, too slutty, too prudish, too petty, too demanding, too calculating…
The story of the gods comes into play in Dagger and Coin, but in a different way than it did in Sword and Verse, because Soraya’s relationship to the gods is completely different from Raisa’s.
I really, really love this book and I can’t wait to share it with you!
Yesterday I got some terrific news: the publication date of Dagger and Coin has been moved earlier, to October 9. And Sword and Verse will now be released in paperback on September 4.
I also just got word that my upcoming board book, 
Stories By Hand with Kathy MacMillan 