Jennifer Donnelly's Blog - Posts Tagged "these-shallow-graves"
A New Year, Three New Books!
Dear Goodreaders,
Whew! What a year!
It’s been all work and no play, but I’m SO excited to tell you that I have three books coming out in 2015!
ROGUE WAVE, the second book in the Waterfire Saga, launches on January 6. In DEEP BLUE, worlds blew apart. ROGUE WAVE follows our mermaids as they figure out how to pick up the broken pieces – of their realms and their lives – and fit them back together. It’s not easy. Or pretty. To triumph in their changed world, the mermaids need to change, too. As they hunt for their talismans, they find reserves of courage and cunning they didn’t know they had. They face down danger and death, only to endure a game-changing betrayal. And one comes face-to-face with a seriously bad dude – but will she live to tell the others?!
That gets answered in DARK TIDE! I just finished the first draft a few days ago. I’m polishing it a bit, and then it goes to my editor. First drafts are such weird things. You feel great because the dragon has been slain – but then your editor gets hold of the manuscript and tells you, “Um, actually it’s not dead yet. In fact, it’s still burning down the village.” You get an editorial letter – aka a bucket of cold water over your head – which tells you everything that’s wrong. After you get done stamping your feet and throwing things, you get busy again. And again. And again. And bit by bit, as you cut and polish, the book gets better. Tighter. Harder. Brighter. I’ve gotten to know Astrid better in DARK TIDE, and Ling, too. It’ll be out in the Fall of ’15. I’ve had a sneak peek at the cover – and I can tell you, it’s gorgeous! Maybe the best one yet!
Also coming in Fall ’15 is THESE SHALLOW GRAVES. It’s a return to familiar ground for me in that it’s historical fiction, but it’s new, too – because it’s my first full-on mystery. Set in gilded age New York, it follows the story of Jo Montfort, an American aristocrat. Jo lives a life of old-money ease. Not much is expected of her other than to look good and marry well. But when her father dies due to an accidental gunshot, the gilding on Jo’s world starts to tarnish. With the help of a handsome and brash reporter, and a young medical student who moonlights in the city morgue, Jo uncovers the truth behind her father’s death and learns that if you’re going to bury the past, you’d better bury it deep. I love, love, love the cover for TSG and can’t wait to share it with you!
Happy reading,
Jennifer
Whew! What a year!
It’s been all work and no play, but I’m SO excited to tell you that I have three books coming out in 2015!
ROGUE WAVE, the second book in the Waterfire Saga, launches on January 6. In DEEP BLUE, worlds blew apart. ROGUE WAVE follows our mermaids as they figure out how to pick up the broken pieces – of their realms and their lives – and fit them back together. It’s not easy. Or pretty. To triumph in their changed world, the mermaids need to change, too. As they hunt for their talismans, they find reserves of courage and cunning they didn’t know they had. They face down danger and death, only to endure a game-changing betrayal. And one comes face-to-face with a seriously bad dude – but will she live to tell the others?!
That gets answered in DARK TIDE! I just finished the first draft a few days ago. I’m polishing it a bit, and then it goes to my editor. First drafts are such weird things. You feel great because the dragon has been slain – but then your editor gets hold of the manuscript and tells you, “Um, actually it’s not dead yet. In fact, it’s still burning down the village.” You get an editorial letter – aka a bucket of cold water over your head – which tells you everything that’s wrong. After you get done stamping your feet and throwing things, you get busy again. And again. And again. And bit by bit, as you cut and polish, the book gets better. Tighter. Harder. Brighter. I’ve gotten to know Astrid better in DARK TIDE, and Ling, too. It’ll be out in the Fall of ’15. I’ve had a sneak peek at the cover – and I can tell you, it’s gorgeous! Maybe the best one yet!
Also coming in Fall ’15 is THESE SHALLOW GRAVES. It’s a return to familiar ground for me in that it’s historical fiction, but it’s new, too – because it’s my first full-on mystery. Set in gilded age New York, it follows the story of Jo Montfort, an American aristocrat. Jo lives a life of old-money ease. Not much is expected of her other than to look good and marry well. But when her father dies due to an accidental gunshot, the gilding on Jo’s world starts to tarnish. With the help of a handsome and brash reporter, and a young medical student who moonlights in the city morgue, Jo uncovers the truth behind her father’s death and learns that if you’re going to bury the past, you’d better bury it deep. I love, love, love the cover for TSG and can’t wait to share it with you!
Happy reading,
Jennifer
A UK Home For My New Book!
Big news to share with you! These Shallow Graves has a fabulous UK home! Hot Key Books will publish TSG in the UK and its territories this coming fall. I couldn’t be more excited to work with the Hot Key team. Hot Key made this awesome video, which made my week!
I can’t wait to share THESE SHALLOW GRAVES with my UK readers, and I hope they love the characters every bit as much as I do!
I can’t wait to share THESE SHALLOW GRAVES with my UK readers, and I hope they love the characters every bit as much as I do!
These Shallow Graves: How I Met Jo Montfort
The lead character in my new book, These Shallow Graves, was inspired by a corpse in a pine box who wouldn't leave me alone (watch) ...
These Shallow Graves UK Cover Reveal!
These Shallow Graves is on the cover of The Bookseller this week in the UK! Love TSG's UK cover, and I'm so excited for British booksellers and readers to meet Jo Montfort!
Tea Rose Giveaway!
Next week, my new novel, These Shallow Graves, goes on sale! It's my first true historical book in several years, and to celebrate, I'm giving away signed audiobooks of the saga that started it all: The Tea Rose trilogy!
While Jo Montfort, the heroine in These Shallow Graves, is very much her own character, you may remember a young member of the Finnegan family who aspires to be a journalist at the end of the Rose trilogy. Did she inspire Jo? It's hard for me to say -- Jo came to me very much as herself, but there are clearly some similarities. I'll leave it to you to decide!
All three Rose audiobooks are in CD format and beautifully read by British actress Jill Tanner. To enter, click on one of the book covers below to go to the Goodreads book page and follow the Giveaway link there. Each book is a separate giveaway, so make sure you enter all three!
Good luck ... and happy reading (and listening)!
The Tea Rose
The Winter Rose
The Wild Rose
While Jo Montfort, the heroine in These Shallow Graves, is very much her own character, you may remember a young member of the Finnegan family who aspires to be a journalist at the end of the Rose trilogy. Did she inspire Jo? It's hard for me to say -- Jo came to me very much as herself, but there are clearly some similarities. I'll leave it to you to decide!
All three Rose audiobooks are in CD format and beautifully read by British actress Jill Tanner. To enter, click on one of the book covers below to go to the Goodreads book page and follow the Giveaway link there. Each book is a separate giveaway, so make sure you enter all three!
Good luck ... and happy reading (and listening)!
The Tea Rose
The Winter Rose
The Wild Rose
My New Historical Mystery!
Dear Readers,
It’s here! At last! THESE SHALLOW GRAVES is out today, October 27, and I’m happy to say that the reviews are glowing!
“A smart, insightful, timely depiction of a young woman poised on the brink of a new world after the shattering of another.” – Booklist, starred review
“Action-packed…The injustices Donnelly highlights remain all too relevant.” – Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Splendidly hair-raising,” – Elizabeth Wein, bestselling, award-winning author of Code Name Verity
“[A] fast-paced thriller.” – Kirkus Reviews
“Heart-pounding romance.” – Shelf Awareness
“Lovely prose, historical intrigue, unique characters and setting.” Ruty Sepetys, bestselling, award-winning author of Between Shades of Grey
Josephine Montfort is one of the city’s most eligible heiresses, and as such, she understands the importance of doing what is expected. She knows that a suitable marriage and a comfortable life is what she should dream of—but her heart can’t help yearning for more.
But then Jo’s father dies violently, and her charmed life is suddenly shattered. His death appears to have been a tragic mistake, but Jo quickly discovers that the details of his death don’t quite add up. If her father’s death wasn’t accidental, could it have been suicide? Or worse….murder?
Jo is desperate to uncover the truth, but escaping her gilded cage is dangerous, and soon it’s hard to know who can be trusted. A chance encounter with handsome journalist Eddie Gallagher shows Jo just how dangerous digging up her family’s past will be—but some secrets can’t stay hidden, no matter how deep you bury them.
THESE SHALLOW GRAVES marks my return to historical fiction and I’m so excited to share the story with you! I hope you enjoy it, and I’d love to hear what you think!
It’s here! At last! THESE SHALLOW GRAVES is out today, October 27, and I’m happy to say that the reviews are glowing!
“A smart, insightful, timely depiction of a young woman poised on the brink of a new world after the shattering of another.” – Booklist, starred review “Action-packed…The injustices Donnelly highlights remain all too relevant.” – Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Splendidly hair-raising,” – Elizabeth Wein, bestselling, award-winning author of Code Name Verity
“[A] fast-paced thriller.” – Kirkus Reviews
“Heart-pounding romance.” – Shelf Awareness
“Lovely prose, historical intrigue, unique characters and setting.” Ruty Sepetys, bestselling, award-winning author of Between Shades of Grey
Josephine Montfort is one of the city’s most eligible heiresses, and as such, she understands the importance of doing what is expected. She knows that a suitable marriage and a comfortable life is what she should dream of—but her heart can’t help yearning for more.
But then Jo’s father dies violently, and her charmed life is suddenly shattered. His death appears to have been a tragic mistake, but Jo quickly discovers that the details of his death don’t quite add up. If her father’s death wasn’t accidental, could it have been suicide? Or worse….murder?
Jo is desperate to uncover the truth, but escaping her gilded cage is dangerous, and soon it’s hard to know who can be trusted. A chance encounter with handsome journalist Eddie Gallagher shows Jo just how dangerous digging up her family’s past will be—but some secrets can’t stay hidden, no matter how deep you bury them.
THESE SHALLOW GRAVES marks my return to historical fiction and I’m so excited to share the story with you! I hope you enjoy it, and I’d love to hear what you think!
