At long last...

First came the storms.

Then came the Fever.

And the Wall.

After a string of devastating hurricanes and a severe outbreak of Delta Fever, the Gulf Coast has been quarantined. Years later, residents of the Outer States are under the assumption that life in the Delta is all but extinct . . . but in reality, a new, primitive society has been born.

Fen de la Guerre is living with the O-Positive blood tribe in the Delta when they are ambushed. Left with her tribe leader’s newborn, Fen is determined to get the baby to a better life over the wall before her blood becomes tainted. 

Fen meets Daniel, a scientist from the Outer States who has snuck into the Delta illegally. Brought together by chance, kept together by danger, Fen and Daniel navigate the wasteland of Orleans. In the end, they are each other’s last hope for survival.


In stores March 7, 2013.  Are you ready?  I am!   Three years in the making.  I hope you will think it was worth the wait!

Rest in Peace: Ray Bradbury

Couresy of Yahoo/AP 

Sad news this morning.  Wonderful, pioneering science fiction writer Ray Bradbury passed away yesterday at the age of 91.  Not too shabby, really.  Ninety-one years!  It's almost like being a time traveler, seeing the world change over the course of a century.

We've entered that time when the greats from my youth are passing.  Maurice Sendak, and now Mr. Bradbury.  It makes me want to take up the torch and write something astonishing in fiery letters fifty stories high.  High enough that they can be read from Mars, or Venus.

Everyone, go out and read yourself a copy of "All Summer in a Day."  That's Bradbury.  It stays with you.

Thank you, Mr. Bradbury, for the insight, entertainment, and education.  You will be missed.

Litfest Pasadena This Saturday!!!

Art by Peter Nye

Remember that new book festival I told you about back in March?  It was postponed due to rain.  But it's not raining any more!  Join me this Saturday, May 12, 2012 at Litfest Pasadena in Central Park on Raymond. 

I will be moderating a panel at 10:30 am entitled: YOUTH KNOWS NO BOUNDS: Breaking the Cliques and Clichés of Young Adult Literature with Cecil Castellucci, Ron Koertge, Blake Nelson, Lisa Yee, and Jessica Brody. 

We will signing books after the panel.  I hope to see you all there!

Goodnight, Mr. Sendak, Goodnight



From IN THE NIGHT KITCHEN by Maurice Sendak

Maurice Sendak passed away today.  He was 83 years old. 

How many of us grew up reading Sendak's work?  Were you haunted by the chefs in the night kitchen?  Did you dream of rolling your terrible yellow eyes?  Did you long for a suit made of batter?

I did.

Thank you, Mr. Sendak, for breathing life into our imaginations, and giving us twisted, magnificent, jungle-like dreams.

Thank you, and good night.

Newsflash - A cancellation and a new beginning

First off, the bad news:  LitFest Pasadena has been postponed due to rain!  It's an outdoor event in lovely Central Park, Pasadena, but the forecast calls for stormy weather.  The good news is, they've already rescheduled for May 12th-- a day the almanac has called rain-free for 10 years.  So, my apologies to all the book fans who were looking forward to celebrating the day.  I hope to see you all in a couple of months.



And now, for the new beginning:  I'm teaching a class!  Yes, I am getting back in front of the blackboard, or in this case, the sofa, for an intimate, small group YA novel writing class.  It's been a few years since my last official class for adults, but I know that group spawned some awesome novels.  Let's do it again!


The class is being offered through Writing Workshops Los Angeles starting April 25th.  We'll be meeting Wednesday evenings for eight weeks at a student's home in Glassell Park, where tea and story structure are the order of the day.  If you're interested, check it out and sign up fast-- there are only eight spots and it's filling up!

Meet the Author - LitFest Pasadena!

Do you know what's so special about this Saturday?  Three things:

1.  It's March 17th, St. Patrick's Day!
2.  It's also my birthday!
3.  And it's the first annual Pasadena LitFest!

Come help celebrate all three wonderful events this Saturday at Central Park in Pasadena, CA.  I'll be moderating the Youth Knows No Bounds: Breaking the Cliques and Clichés of Young Adult Literature panel at 10:30 am with fabulous local authors Cecil Castellucci, Lauren Kate, Ron Koertge, and Lisa Yee.  Come by, join the conversation, and be sure to wear green!  (I'm not above pinching people!)

Storytelling in the Sunshine State

St. Luke's Lutheran School

How lucky am I?  I'm just back from a visit to St. Luke's Lutheran School in Oviedo, FL as part of their S.P.L.A.S.H. Literacy Festival.  (If you're wondering, S.P.L.A.S.H. stands for "St. Luke's Promotes Literacy At School and Home.)  The festival is the brain child of two teachers, John and Anita Glanzer, who have been spreading a love of books across the country as part of their life mission. 

I must say, Florida is fast becoming my favorite state for school visits.  Gorgeous weather and friendly people, not to mention some of the craziest, most imaginative kids!  The stories we told in our writing workshops started with Crazy Hat Day as an inspiration, and went well beyond.  From Ghost Hats to evil tacos, flying horses to guys who just really need to take a bath-- well, as you can see, we had a blast!  One class had even created a map of events in FLYGIRL, laying out the story like a navigational map for a pilot-- what an amazing idea!  (I'd show you a picture but my photography skills couldn't do it justice.)
Thanks to the S.P.L.A.S.H. organizers, the St. Luke's staff and Parent/Teacher League for bringing me out.  Thank you to all of the students who worked so hard on their stories and made me feel welcome.  An extra special thanks goes to Sherry for the lovely tea cups and to my host mom, Siobhan, for taking care of me every step of the way.