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10th Anniversary Scorpio Races Editions

Oh winter! I like this time of year, when the nights get long and powerful and the days get watered-down and colorless. It feels like a time for magic. Unsafe magic, bonfire magic.

I wanted to update the site to let folks know there are still a few copies of the 10th Anniversary edition of The Scorpio Races available from Owlcrate, complete with all the exclusive swag and merch they’ve designed to go with it. You can find that here.

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And of course, you can always find signed copies from One More Page, including signed copies of my upcoming releases with pre-order exclusive bookplates.

Thanks for another year of reading my books and supporting my storytelling! I hope you have a magical winter.

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Announcing: the 10th Anniversary Edition of The Scorpio Races

Just in time for Scorpio season, Scholastic has partnered with Owlcrate to create a limited edition 10th Anniversary hardcover edition of The Scorpio Races (yes, it’s been ten years!) that’ll ship at the end of October.

The special edition has a new hardcover design beneath a reversible dust jacket. Like the Owlcrate editions of Call Down the Hawk and Mister Impossible, I did the art on the inside (eagle-eyed readers already spotted this art’s purpose months ago). Bound inside is a letter from me and that alternative chapter from Finn’s point of view at the end.

Each book is signed (I couldn’t talk about what I was signing a few months ago, but that’s what I was doing as I watched all those films in a row).

It’ll all come in a box with Thisby-inspired swag (you can check out Owlcrate’s other boxes for ideas of what sorts of things they put in their boxes).

I love this book, and I know many readers love it too (thank you so much, guys, for loving this passion project of mine) and I’m very happy Scholastic is giving it a new edition a decade later.

(note: Scholastic chose to partner exclusively with Owlcrate for this edition, so you won’t be able to get the book on its own/ in stores. Maybe for the 20th anniversary edition? ;p Also, for international readers, Owlcrate does ship internationally but like One More Page, the indie store I partner with on my own, the shipping can sometimes be quite steep.)

Get more info over at Owlcrate.

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Just in time for Scorpio season, Scholastic has partnered...

Just in time for Scorpio season, Scholastic has partnered with Owlcrate to create a limited edition 10th Anniversary hardcover edition of The Scorpio Races (yes, it’s been ten years!) that’ll ship at the end of October.

The special edition has a new hardcover design beneath a reversible dust jacket. Like the Owlcrate editions of Call Down the Hawk and Mister Impossible, I did the art on the inside (eagle-eyed readers already spotted this art’s purpose months ago). Bound inside is a letter from me and that alternative chapter from Finn’s point of view at the end.

Each book is signed (I couldn’t talk about what I was signing a few months ago, but that’s what I was doing as I watched all those films in a row).

It’ll all come in a box with Thisby-inspired swag (you can check out Owlcrate’s other boxes for ideas of what sorts of things they put in their boxes).

I love this book, and I know many readers love it too (thank you so much, guys, for loving this passion project of mine) and I’m very happy Scholastic is giving it a new edition a decade later.

(note: Scholastic chose to partner exclusively with Owlcrate for this edition, so you won’t be able to get the book on its own/ in stores. Maybe for the 20th anniversary edition? ;p Also, for international readers, Owlcrate does ship internationally but like One More Page, the indie store I partner with on my own, the shipping can sometimes be quite steep.)

Get more info over at Owlcrate.

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Announcing: Bravely! Coming May 2022

I’m so delighted to announce my next novel-length project: BRAVELY, a YA sequel to Disney’s BRAVE, set several years after the film.

Here’s the official summary:

What if you had one year to save everything you loved?

ONE PRINCESS. Merida of DunBroch needs a change. She loves her family—jovial King Fergus, proper Queen Elinor, the mischievous triplets— and her peaceful kingdom. But she’s frustrated by its sluggishness; each day, the same. Merida longs for adventure, purpose, challenge – maybe even, someday, love.

TWO GODS. But the fiery Princess never expects her disquiet to manifest by way of Feradach, an uncanny supernatural being tasked with rooting out rot and stagnation, who appears in DunBroch on Christmas Eve with the intent to demolish the realm – and everyone within. Only the intervention of the Cailleach, an ancient entity of creation, gives Merida a shred of hope: convince her family to change within the year – or suffer the eternal consequences.

THREE VOYAGES. Under the watchful eyes of the gods, Merida leads a series of epic journeys to kingdoms near and far in an attempt to inspire revolution within her family. But in her efforts to save those she loves from ruin, has Merida lost sight of the Clan member grown most stagnant of all – herself?

FOUR SEASONS TO SAVE DUNBROCH – OR SEE IT DESTROYED, FOREVER.

Those of you who know my college and musical background can probably well imagine my attraction to this project. Disney gave me plenty of room to roam, which meant I was able to conjure all the ancient deities and youthful harpers and impossible bargains a Stiefvater could hope for.

It was so satisfying to work on this standalone novel in the midst of the intricate work of finishing the Dreamer Trilogy, and although it was very odd to work on this in absolute secrecy, there is something satisfying about being able to say TA-DA! HERE’S A BOOK! and have a release date that’s not too far off in the future.

Like my other books, you can also pre-order a signed, personalized hardcover copy from One More Page and get an exclusive bookplate with my art (reveal of that to come later!).

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Summer Updates

Yesterday was the Summer Solstice, the longest day in the year for those of us living north of the Equator. It gets darker from here on out. It feels like as good an excuse as any to do a miscellaneous updates post.

• Mister Impossible, the second book in the Dreamer Trilogy, has been out for a month! The signed bookplates exclusive to pre-orders can no longer be guaranteed, but you can find still get signed copies with the bonus indie-exclusive book jacket I drew at One More Page (along with signed copies of my other novels). If you missed the virtual events during release month you can still hear me talk about the series in the Reddit AMA I did here and the interview I did with Interview Magazine here.

• On June 29th at 7 pm PT, I’ll be at a virtual event hosted by Mysterious Galaxy. You can register for the event and order a signed book here.

• TV things: Folks have been asking about the Raven Cycle TV adaptation with Catherine Hardwicke directing and Michael London/ Groundswell producing; I amicably pulled the plug on it quite awhile ago.

• TRC/ Dreamer Trilogy things: the final book in the Dreamer Trilogy is slated for ’22 if all goes to plan. It will be the final book in that world/ with these characters from me for the foreseeable future. Never say never, of course, but at this point, my time in that universe (one I began when I was 19!) seems done (I talk about the reasoning behind that a little more on the Reddit AMA linked above). I’ll be able to talk about a new, non-TRC novel (!) very soon, so stay tuned for that.

• Speaking of announcements, I’m continuing the shift in my social media that I started a year ago. Attentive users will already notice my Twitter has become an updates-only account. Replies won’t be seen there, and updates may sometimes be someone tweeting on my behalf instead. Facebook and Instagram are slightly more personal but I truly need to emphasize that I spend very little time on social, so I miss the vast majority of replies. DMs are turned off everywhere. Readers are great, but the internet is loud, and I need quiet to think and write. No one believes I’m an introvert, but I am, and the shifting truthlessness of the 1s and 0s are starting to get to me. It feels like the end of an era, but I’ve been meaning to sail into the West for a long time and now is the time to say farewell to Middle Earth.

• But you can still get Stiefvater news as it happens! If you’re signed up for my newsletter (the pop up appears every time you visit my site), you’ll get an email when I have a new release or announce a tour or other bigs news. This is usually 2-3 emails a year and you can opt out at any time.

• I’ve also begun a year-long experiment on Substack by having a subscriber-only zine that posts three pieces a month: one short story, one craft article, and one miscellaneous end-of-month post. It’s set at Substack’s lowest price — $5/month or $30/year, and, as I said, I’m trying it out for a year to see if I like the more curated experience. So far it’s been nice, and I’ve just begun a multi-month segment on editing, so I’m looking forward to digging into that. You can find it here.

• Is that everything for now? I think it is. I’m hugely excited for the stories to come and can’t wait to share them with you guys in the future.

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Mister Impossible Virtual Events

It’s just one week until Mister Impossible’s U.S. release! If you’re still looking for signed or signed/personalized copies, or signed international copies, you can find details of that here.

COVID’s still disrupting in-person touring, of course, but the upside is that virtual events are accessible all over the globe. Here are the ones planned for Mister Impossible so far:

5/18: U.S. launch event, in conversation with TRC/ Dreamer Trilogy’s editor and author David Levithan. This ticketed event is hosted by Barnes & Noble, and the price of the ticket comes with a signed copy (unfortunately I don’t believe there’s an option to just buy a ticket if you’ve bought the book elsewhere).

5/19: Reddit AMA hosted by r/Fantasy. I’ll post the direct link on my social media the day of, and will be answering questions there all day long.

5/22: UK launch event with author Peader Ó’Guilín, hosted by 7 Stories. expect us to discuss retooling fairy lore and absolute nonsense. This is a ticketed event, available to all. Ticket price supports 7 Stories, and does not include a book, but you can order a book with a signed bookplate separately from them as well (within the uK).

6/9: Edelweiss Book Festival. Details to come.

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Almost time!

Well, it’s three weeks until the release date of MISTER IMPOSSIBLE. THREE WEEKS. I can’t wait for you guys to read this one—it’s leaner, meaner, and slicker than Call Down the Hawk, as middle books of trilogies should be.

Here’s the official summary:

Something is happening to the source of the dreamers’ power. It is blocked. Diminished. Weak. If it goes away entirely, what will happen to the dreamers and those who depend on them?

Ronan Lynch isn’t planning to wait and find out. Backed by his mentor, Bryde, he is ready to do what needs to be done to save the dreamers and the dreamed … even if it takes him far from his family and the boy he loves.

Jordan Hennessy knows she will not survive if the dreaming fails. So she plunges into a dark underworld in order to find an object that may sustain her.

Carmen Farooq-Lane is afraid of the dreamers – which is why she’s agreed to hunt them down. The closer she gets, though, the more complicated her feelings become. Will the dreamers destroy the world … or will the world be destroyed trying to eliminate the dreamers?

And you can read the first 50 pages here:

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Full info on where you can pre-order it, including special editions like this one with the indie-bookstore-exclusive book sleeve I drew is here.

get it signed & personalized from One More Page!

Man, time always goes so slowly in the months leading up to a new book release and then charges ahead at the very end.

O.O

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The Key to Story

Do you guys remember that book tour I did many years ago where I asked you to bring me keys for my studio, if you wanted to bring me anything at all?

People often gave me enormous art on tour that I couldn’t pack in my luggage, expensive gifts I felt bad taking, snacks I was allergic to, and books I wouldn’t have time to read on the road. But a few keys, I thought . . . they would be portable! And inspiring to hang on my studio wall at the end of the tour to remind me of who I create for.

So I said bring me a key and a story. And you guys did.

Pounds upon a pounds of keys, hundreds of keys.

And the stories . . . some were hilarious. Some were touching. Some were scorching.

By the end of the tour, I had so many keys that I couldn’t hang them on my wall—they’d actually jingle with the bass as I recorded.

I worked on a solution and over the years, I slowly twiddled away at putting them together. Now, finally, they’re all up. You’re all up.

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Mister Impossible Pre-Order Swag/ Special Editions

Man, we’re getting close now — just a little over 10 weeks until release day for Mister Impossible. Once again, Scholastic has worked with Owlcrate and & indie bookstores to create a special edition and swag, and I’ve done my best to reach out to make some less postage-heavy options available to international readers.

Here’s the details of all the pre-order options/ special editions.

U.S. OPTIONS:

OWLCRATE EDITION

Owlcrate, a subscription box service, is once again offering an exclusive signed hardcover edition. They come with an exclusive reversible cover—on the inside is a piece of art I did just for them. They are limited in supply, however, and Owlcrate offers them to their subscribers first, before offering whatever is leftover to the general public in their shop. Link for their instagram and info here. (note: previously they had Call Down the Hawk in a box full of other swag, but this is JUST the book).

INDIE EDITION

Participating independent U.S. bookstores will have an indie-exclusive art print I did for them . . . which just happens to fit perfectly around the U.S. hardcover. I’ll have a list of participating stores later (and feel free to ask your indie if they are one!), but for now you can be sure to find it at One More Page (more below).

ONE MORE PAGE

This is the Virginia bookshop I partner with for signed copies of all my books, not just this one. Copies of Mister Impossible pre-ordered from One More Page will come with the Indie art print, a signed Jordan Hennessy bookplate, and the book itself signed. They are also the ONLY option for personalized books. They ship worldwide. Info on that here.

INTERNATIONAL OPTIONS

I’m partnering with three international shops; their pre-orders come with a signed Jordan Hennessy bookplate. They’ll also have some of the other backlist bookplates, especially Australia, who missed out on a few pre-order swag campaigns over the years.

UK: Seven Stories (paperback)

Australia: Galaxy Bookshop (paperback)

Canada: Mabel’s Fables (hardcover)

I’ve also been asked if there will be any doodled editions this year, as I’ve been reducing the number of those every year to spare my flimsy wrists. Unfortunately, I have to call it quits on mass-producing those, but there are a few of them available with the collectors’ subscription option for my Maggie-zine I’m doing this year.

I always manage to forget something with these posts but hopefully this answers most questions. Thank you, guys, for supporting me and these cool indie stores with your pre-orders. I think Mister Impossible is a wild, slightly unhinged ride through the middle of the trilogy and I can’t wait for you guys to get your hands on it.

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On Author-Reader-Author-Reader Responsibility

I remember the first time I felt naive as an author.

It was several years into my writing career, and I had a couple bestsellers under my belt. I was at a gathering of authors and the subject of another writer’s upcoming novel came up. The early manuscript had been sent to me for a “blurb” — that tantalizing recommendation that appears on the front cover of many novels. You’ve seen them: “This book was A++.” — Maggie Stiefvater, New York Times Bestselling Author.

The other author asked me if I was going to blurb this novel and I said something along the lines of, no, I hadn’t cared for it; it didn’t seem very truthful to the human experience to me and I didn’t think my readers would be wild for it. The other author nodded, agreed, and then said she was blurbing it, even though she thought it was awful. Why? Because the marketing push behind this novel was so enormous that she said it was like free advertising, her name as an expert on every single copy.

I felt very naive.

Of course, later, I discovered this wasn’t unusual. That blurbs were often favors traded, marketing moves, publicity dances. Authors told me they blurbed some books unread because the “optics were good.” Optics!

Bullshit. Even if the dishonesty of it didn’t make me curl up like a slug under salt, the betrayal did: the betrayal of an author’s responsibility to their reader.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the responsibility authors have to their readers, not just because I have a new novel coming out in May, but also because I’m closing in on the end of a series, and also because I am coming off a full-on decade of touring and am looking at what it means to be an author if I’m not on the road every second of every day instead. I’m asking myself “what am I writing next” but also “how do I intend to move about the cabin as an author?”

Because it is not just in the creation of words where authors have responsibility to the reader, surely. It’s in how we conduct ourselves as authors in professional spaces. It means that if I put my name on a book, I should have done my best for that to mean something. If it’s a novel I’ve written, I want it to have been worth the reader’s time. If it’s a novel I’m recommending, I want it to mean that I expect readers who enjoy my work will also enjoy it. Readers deserve to have me think about them. To respect their time.

And it goes beyond that. I’m in the process of signing several thousand pieces of paper for my upcoming May release. Some are bookplates, some are tip-in sheets that will end up in books, some are the books themselves. I’ve had multiple people suggest I either train someone else to do my signature or get a stamp or acquire pre-printed bookplates. Again, this feels like a betrayal of the responsibility to the reader. If I ask what my hand and wrist would like, surely it would like to not sign a lot of things while listening to old movies I know very well. If I ask myself what a reader wants, though, I assume what they want is to know that each of these pieces of paper was touched by me, that I was thinking about how each of these signatures would please a reader who in many cases went out of their way to support me or an independent bookstore. That’s worthwhile to me. One day, I might not be able to sign all these bookplates, but if that day comes, I’ll just stop offering them. That feels honest. Respectful of my readers.

Now I also think authors have responsibility to their readers as writers, or at least I feel it keenly: I want my books to be worth their time. I’ve written quite a lot of novels by now, and I don’t expect readers to like them all equally, or even for them to be equally objectively good; it’s impossible. But I do want, generally, for them to be worthwhile. If you pick up a Stiefvater book thinking “I hope this is a Stiefvater book experience!” I would like you to put it down several hours later saying “that was a Stiefvater book experience!” I want every bit of happiness to feel earned, every bit of suffering to be justified, every chapter to have done a little bit of magic behind the curtain so that the reader went somewhere else for a little bit. I might not give the reader what they wanted, but I always try to give them what they needed. As a reader, that’s what I long for: an author who takes care of me. I don’t know what I’m getting, but I know I’ll like it in the end.

This is where it gets to the reader’s responsibility to an author. I’ve been shouted at quite a lot as we get to the middle of this latest trilogy— readers want x plot to happen, y plot to not happen, z event to happen, etc. In some cases, it is simply impossible: the reader is talking about a book long since written; they’re an old man shouting at cloud. Nothing can be done. But in all other cases, it’s simply unfair. Readers get to shout after the book comes out. Beforehand, it is their responsibility to let writers write.

Now—I’m not asking readers to trust me. Readers are entitled to as much doubt or fear or pessimism as they like, and only the book will prove them wrong or right. They’re also entitled to discuss those feelings with each other online as much as they like. They can even come to me with their fears as much as they like. It’s not going to hurt my feelings. You’re worried I will break your hearts, let you down, waste your time. I understand. I’m a reader too. I’ve had authors fail to take care of me, and I don’t forget, and I rarely forgive, and my wallet seals its lips petulantly when the next one comes along. I am completely with you on this one.

But I am not a jukebox; I do not take requests. I write what I want to write while keeping the reader very much in mind. I don’t think I could do it the other way around. It has to start with my story, told in such a way to hopefully satisfy the reader. Otherwise I think my novels would feel empty very quickly.

It’s a cycle, though. Because once the book comes out, then I begin to listen. I’m listening to hear if I’ve done my job; if most people were satisfied; if it was worth their time. They asked for a Stiefvater novel, I gave them a Stiefvater novel. “This is a Stiefvater book.” — New York Times Bestselling Author Maggie Stiefvater. You can’t please everyone, of course, but one can test the general temperature of the room. If I got something wrong, there’s the next book to try to do better. If people unexpectedly love an aspect I didn’t expect, I take that on board, too. The other day, my eye doctor said to me “your vision is really messed up, but it corrects well,” and it struck me that it was a good metaphor for my outlook/ work/ technique in general.

In an ideal world, there’s an author-reader-author-reader responsibility cycle. I have my responsibility to the reader: I want to respect their creative time, both as author and as writer. The reader has a responsibility to me: they want to respect my creative time, both as buyer and as reader. It’s symbiotic, like those shrimp that jump onto fish and vacuum them.

Consider this post my promise: I’ll always try to be a good shrimp, and I trust you guys to always be good fish, or vice versa. I can’t tell which of us is the shrimp in this scenario. Either way, I’m going to close here with a photo of one of the shrimp from Lover’s fish tank. He seems happy.

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