Jennifer Donnelly's Blog, page 11

Stepsister Out in May!

So excited to finally say that Stepsister, my upcoming novel that picks up where Cinderella left off, will be released THIS year - May 2019! So far, it is being published in 16 markets/languages. Can't wait to share it with you!

My Bookshelf: SCRIBE by Alyson Hagy

I loved this hard, dark blood-jewel of a book. Beguiling, unsettling, and beautifully written, Scribe is a story of long-buried secrets, of wrongs done, and of the power of words to set a soul right. Can’t wait to read the rest of Alyson Hagy's books, and I hope you don't miss this one!

My Bookshelf: SCRIBE by Alyson Hagy

I loved this hard, dark blood-jewel of a book. Beguiling, unsettling, and beautifully written, SCRIBE is a story of long-buried secrets, of wrongs done, and of the power of words to set a soul right. Can’t wait to read the rest of Alyson Hagy‘s books, and I hope you don’t miss this one!

Why I Vote

“Remember the ladies…” Abigail Adams wrote to her husband John on March 31, 1776, urging him and his fellow members of the Continental Congress to give women representation in the laws and governance of their fledgling nation.

It took nearly 150 years for Abigail’s request to be granted.

When I vote, I vote for my present and my daughter’s future, but also for the past—I vote to honor the generations of American women who couldn’t. I nod at their ghosts on my way through the door of the polling station. I see Abigail Adams there, and Sojourner Truth, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. I see a great aunt who was kept on the farm, kept docile, kept down. I see Grace Brown, pregnant and doomed.




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I vote for Abigail Adams.

I vote for Sojourner Truth.

I vote for Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

I vote for Grace Brown.

I nod at them, and at all the girls in all the old black and white photos I’ve studied as I’ve researched my books—girls in the slums of New York, girls in the rural north woods. How different their lives would have been if they’d had the rights I have.

I promise them, as I sign my name on the voters’ rolls, to never ever take my right to vote for granted. I’m voting for the candidates I’ve chosen, yes, but I’m also voting for the women who never got to. And I hope you will, too.

Please vote.

Cover Reveal: STEPSISTER!

I am SO excited to share the cover of Stepsister, my upcoming novel that picks up where Cinderella left off! It’s the story of Isabelle, one of Cinderella’s “ugly” mean-girl stepsisters, and it delves into the questions I have had about this classic fairy tale since I was a child: What happened to the stepsisters after Cinderella rode off with the prince? What had it been like for them to always be second best? Less than? Lacking?

I’ve always wondered if the stepsisters were sorry for the way they behaved, or not. Did they marry? Maybe they made up with Cinderella and lived in the palace. Maybe they became dusty old recluses. Or left the country. Or started a business selling plus-size shoes.

Last year, after a lifetime of wondering, I decided I finally had to find out, and Stepsister was born.

It has been an amazing and challenging journey, but I have my answers. We’re currently in the final revisions to the manuscript, and today, we have this striking cover produced by the editorial and art teams at my publisher, Scholastic. I love it — I think it captures the essence of this grim tale perfectly!

I’ll be sharing lots more about Stepsister in the coming days and weeks (the book comes out in May), but you can learn more about it on my Stepsister Book Page.

STEPSISTER Cover Reveal!

Here it is: The cover for Stepsister, my upcoming novel that picks up where Cinderella left off! It's the story of Isabelle, one of Cinderella's "ugly" mean-girl stepsisters, and it delves into the questions I have had about this classic fairy tale since I was a child: What happened to the stepsisters after Cinderella rode off with the prince? What had it been like for them to always be second best? Less than? Lacking?



I’ve always wondered if the stepsisters were sorry for the way they behaved, or not. Did they marry? Maybe they made up with Cinderella and lived in the palace. Maybe they became dusty old recluses. Or left the country. Or started a business selling plus-size shoes.

Last year, after a lifetime of wondering, I decided I finally had to find out, and STEPSISTER was born.

It has been an amazing and challenging journey, but I have my answers. We're currently in the final revisions to the manuscript, and today, we have this striking cover produced by the editorial and art teams at my publisher, Scholastic. I love it -- I think it captures the essence of this grim tale perfectly!

I'll be sharing lots more about STEPSISTER in the coming days and weeks (the book comes out in May), but you can learn more about it on my website here: http://www.jenniferdonnelly.com/book/stepsister/

Summer Reading Giveaway!

I’m giving away a signed hardcover copy of Beauty and the Beast: Lost in a Book, the original novel I wrote last year to accompany Disney's blockbuster "Beauty and the Beast" film!

Click here to enter (and don't wait — the giveaway closes on August 26)!

Beauty and the Beast: Lost In A Book Giveaway!

I’m giving away a signed hardcover copy of Beauty and the Beast: Lost In A Book, the bestselling original novel I wrote to accompany the Disney blockbuster film.  Enter now – the giveaway closes on August 26!

Details »

FATAL THRONE Is Out!

Today’s the day! Fatal Throne, my collaborative novel on the six wives of Henry VIII, is finally out in the world!

What a thrill it has been to work with the talented M.T. Anderson (Henry), Candace Fleming (Katharine of Aragon), Stephanie Hemphill (Anne Boleyn), Lisa Ann Sandell (Jane Seymour), Linda Sue Park (Catherine Howard) and Deborah Hopkinson (Kateryn Parr) on such a fascinating, and tragic, chapter in history.

I wrote Anna of Cleves, the “ugly” queen, and it turned out to be one of my favorite projects ever. I lost myself in her. She changed me forever. It’s always an honor to invoke a real person from history in my work — but Anna was special. She was smart and practical and she’ll be an inspiration to me for the rest of my life.

Isn’t this 500 year-old portrait of Anna amazing? (Zoom in and look at the details of her headdress and the embroidery on her clothing.) It’s by Henry’s Court portraitist Hans Holbein, and it’s thought that he painted Anna to look prettier than she really was. Maybe that’s true – but I look into those shrewd, skeptical eyes and it’s clear that he captured her true beauty perfectly.

FATAL THRONE is available at bookstores everywhere in the U.S. (no international editions yet, but I promise to post release dates for other countries as soon as I get them!), including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or your local independent bookstore.

May 1: Fatal Throne Is Released

Fatal Throne, the novel I co-wrote with M.T. Anderson, Candace Fleming, Stephanie Hemphill, Deborah Hopkinson, Linda Sue Park, and Lisa Ann Sandell, is on sale now!!

I got to write Anna of Cleves, the “ugly” queen, who outlived Henry, Cromwell, and all Henry’s other wives, and died a wealthy, independent woman at a time when women were little more than property.

The “ugly” queen? No way — those wise, shrewd eyes betray a soul strong enough to best no less than Henry VIII. If that’s not beautiful, I don’t know what is.

Thanks to Anna, Fatal Throne turned out to be one of my favorite projects ever. I lost myself in her. She was brave, inspiring, smart, deeply beautiful — and a survivor in a very treacherous world. She rocked my world and changed me forever, and she’ll be an inspiration to me for the rest of my life.

It’s always a thrill and an honor to invoke a real person from history in my work — but Anna was special. She was shrewd and smart and practical and managed to succeed. But she sacrificed so much in the process. I’m deeply affected by her story and her incredible spirit, and I’m excited to share her story with you!

Buy Fatal Throne on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your local independent bookstore.