Lisa McMann's Blog, page 2
May 10, 2021
Clarice the Brave
I have a new book coming out this fall–October 12, 2021. And I can’t wait for you to read it. It’s called Clarice the Brave. Isn’t this cover beautiful? It’s by Antonio Caparo. You can read more about it below. And find out more about the inspiration behind it at Nerdy Book Club.
Clarice the BraveThe only good cat is a fed cat. Clarice, a young ship mouse, knows this to be true.
She and her brother, Charles Sebastian, were taught to be careful—as all mice are—but caution is no match for the sea, which took their mother, and it is certainly no match for Special Lady, the horrid cat who ate their sister. Now the siblings hide in their pantry crate, knowing every move they make could be their last.
When a shocking mutiny forces Clarice onto a small, leaky boat with Special Lady and a dozen hungry sailors with deadly boots, Charles Sebastian is left on the ship to fend off mutineers, a flock of irate chickens, and an inquisitive human prisoner—a mouse’s worst enemy.
Being careful may have saved them in the past, but now Clarice and Charles Sebastian will need to grow bold if they are to survive . . . and keep their promise to find one other again.
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Unwanteds comes an unforgettable adventure filled with perseverance, kindness, and hope.
January 28, 2021
Unwanteds readers, I wrote you a letter.
Can you believe the Unwanteds series is finally complete? We’ve been through so much together in these 14 books.
Failures and triumphs, deaths and births, battles and personal struggles and growth. I’m finished writing the books and I’ve shed plenty of tears over them—have you, too?
But the story of what happens next doesn’t have to be over. It can live on in your mind as you imagine the next adventures for our beloved friends in Artimé.
The idea for The Unwanteds first came to me when my 12-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter found out that the arts classes would be eliminated from their school because of budget cuts.
It felt like a punishment to have their favorite classes taken away, and I imagined a world where kids were actually punished for being creative.
My son suggested they not be simply punished, but sent to their deaths! And that was that.
I wrote about kids being labeled “Unwanted,” and how they took that hurtful label and made it a badge of honor.
I wrote about people making bad choices and clawing their way back to society in search of redemption.
I wrote about forgiveness, and I also wrote about standing up for the right to be treated with dignity, compassion, and respect.
For some of you, this series is about Alex, striving to fill shoes that kept growing; setting an example for other mages about what love is and what dedication and loyalty truly mean.
For others, it’s about Aaron, whose constant struggles with his past haunt him and shape his future in a complex way as he seeks and never quite seems to find, or accept, redemption.
Still others believe that twins Fifer and Thisbe, who began as dangerously magical toddlers and grow into the most powerful and competent mages Artimé has ever seen, are the essence of what life in the magical world is like.
All four Stowe siblings shape the world, and without them, we wouldn’t have the story we love.
But the Stowes would be nothing without their friends who, at times, are the reason Artimé survives and thrives.
Meghan, Lani, and Samheed. Mr. Today, Simber, and Florence. Sky, Kaylee, Henry, Thatcher, Sean, Carina, Crow, and Scarlet.
Ms. Octavia, Claire Morning, Mr. Appleblossom, Fox, and Kitten. Seth, Asha, Rohan, Dev, Prindi, Ibrahim, and Clementi. If I missed your favorite, insert their name here, for they are important too.
Just as you are important to me.
I hope you heard that. You truly are the heart of this series.
There wouldn’t be 14 books if you hadn’t picked up that first one years ago and told your teachers and friends about it. There wouldn’t be a beautiful, generous, creative Unwanteds community without you.
I love hearing from you, and even though I can’t answer everyone who reaches out to me, I am always listening. And I am learning from you.
I value your thoughts and ideas and questions. You teach me things—you probably don’t even realize you’re doing it. You are amazing.
I hope that you have found comfort and an escape in these fourteen books, especially over the past very difficult year. I remember the early days of the pandemic, when I was working on Dragon Fury.
I told myself daily to stay inside, to wear my mask if I had to go out, and to be safe and focus on the story, because I had to finish the series. You haven’t let me down. And I couldn’t let you down.
I told myself that you needed the end of the series, and that helped me give this book every bit of my heart.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to write this story for you. I love you, and I appreciate you more than you will ever know. I hope you will never forget this epic journey we went on together.
I also hope that someday, in a few years or maybe even tomorrow, you’ll start reading the books all over again and imagine yourself in Artimé, fighting for justice alongside me.
In the meantime, let’s imagine all the new adventures our friends in Artimé will experience. And let’s think of them when we are faced with challenges that seem too hard to handle.
Finally, please never forget—when you feel the most alone, know that I am with you.
Your friend,
Lisa McMann
January 12, 2021
December 26, 2020
The Grand Finale in the Unwanteds world is just a month away!
Can you believe it? The fourteenth and final book, The Unwanteds Quests: Dragon Fury, arrives January 26, 2021, and you can join me virtually to celebrate! And cry! And cheer! Or whatever! It’s going to be an amazing hour, courtesy of Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, AZ, and you can get your ticket here.
Your ticket gives you:
–An autographed copy of Dragon Fury
–A prize pack with #Unwanteds swag
–An autographed 11×17 poster of Spike Furious
–Access to the 1-hour Zoom event on January 26, 2021, at 6pm MST (8pm EST, 7pm CST, 5pm PST) where I’ll be chatting with my pal Faith about the end of this series. But don’t worry–we won’t spoil the book! I’ve invited a few special guests to share their best #UnwantedsMemory, and you’ll be able to add yours in the comments on the Zoom chat. And I’ll be talking a little bit about what I’m writing next!
It’s going to be an hour (and a series) to remember! Help spread the word using #UnwantedsFinale and #UnwantedsMemory and follow my Instagram feed @lisa_mcmann. I’ll see you on the 26th!
June 29, 2020
Get a free poster of Florence when you pre-order Dragon Slayers!
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Presenting Florence, everyone’s favorite Magical Warrior Trainer, created by my son, @kilianmcmanndesign. If you want this 11”x17” poster, please follow these simple instructions:
Pre-order your copy of The Unwanteds: Dragon Slayers (hardcover, audio, or ebook) from your favorite book retailer and send a scan of your receipt to my assistant at lisa.mcmann@gmail.com along with your full name and postal address. Use the subject: Florence Poster so my assistant can easily see it. U.S. and Canadian addresses only please. While supplies last. One poster per book. If you buy multiple copies I’ll send you multiple posters (just mention it in your email so we don’t miss it). YES I will be autographing the posters, yay! The poster will be shipped separately from the book, directly from me, so you must email your receipt or I won’t know you preordered.
To get a signed book, pre-order from my local bookstore, Capital Books on K in Sacramento (they ship everywhere). For my Phoenix area friends, I’ll probably be signing books or at least bookplates with Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, AZ, as well—more info on that when I have it.
Isn’t she amazing? Pre-order now and send in your receipt to get your poster!
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March 24, 2020
Online Reads and Resources
With everything going on, I’ve been asked a lot if I’ll be doing read-alouds of my books. I am working with my publisher, Simon & Schuster, to put something together, but in the interim, I wanted to update you with some guidelines and resources.
For using my books (or any Simon and Schuster books) please be guided by the following:
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You can also find these guidelines on the Simon & Schuster site here.
For my Going Wild books, please use the guidelines from HarperCollins here.
Here are some online resources for you to use with your students:
A video of me reading the first chapter of THE UNWANTEDS: https://youtu.be/xo1nTlJ5mZ4
A book trailer for THE UNWANTEDS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93eUOh3JQ2U
A short interview, including my inspiration for the series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-QksUJze2E
THE UNWANTEDS QUESTS: DRAGON CAPTIVES Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RD-eyhp9mWA
A Meet The Author interview I did recently for Fairfax Network – Fairfax County Public Schools: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2yL8XIEq7c
My author page at Simon & Schuster where you can download my book cover images: https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Lisa-McMann/45103601
The dedicated THE UNWANTEDS website where you can download educator guides, quizzes, and other fun things: http://www.theunwantedsseries.com/
Here’s a link about the brand new Unwanteds app—a social gathering place to learn fun facts about the characters, spells, and worlds. You can add details, chat, and meet other fans of the series. https://unwanteds.app/
January 4, 2020
Unwanteds Quests: Dragon Fire is coming Feb 4th!
And here is the schedule for the remaining books in the world of the Unwanteds.
Feb 4, 2020: Book 5 (Dragon Fire). Also, book 3, Dragon Ghosts, comes out in paperback this day.
September 2020: Book 6 (Title and cover reveal coming soon on my Instagram page @Lisa_McMann)
February 2021: Book 7 of Unwanteds Quests, the last and final book in the Unwanteds world.
After that? We all cry.
Much love!
Lisa
The Unwanteds Quests: Dragon Fire is coming February 4th!
Book 5 in the Unwanteds Quests series arrives February 4th. If you pre-order from Changing Hands bookstore in Tempe, AZ, by Feb 1st, you can score a few bonus goodies.
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I’ll be doing a signing at that store on Sunday, February 2nd, at 2pm and I’d love to see you if you live in the area!
In other news, book 3, Dragon Ghosts, will be out in paperback format that same day. And the first three books in the Quests series will be available as a paperback box set in April.
Find me on Instagram or Twitter to keep up on new releases, cover reveals, and other fun stuff! Like, did you know my daughter Kennedy McMann is the new Nancy Drew on the CW network? (See what you’re missing?)
Hope you enjoy the books!
January 30, 2019
January 12, 2018
DRAGON BONES is coming Feb 6!
Pre-order now to get some Unwanteds and Unwanteds Quests goodies! Links below the graphic.
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Barnes & Noble exclusive edition
Book 1, Dragon Captives, will be out in paperback Feb 6 as well!
Here’s where I’ll be on book tour:
February 3, 2018
DRAGON BONES LAUNCH PARTY! 3:00 p.m.
At the amazing Changing Hands Bookstore
6428 S. McClintock, Tempe, AZ
Get your copy waaaaay before everyone else!
February 5, 2018
Barnes & Noble Clackamas Towne Center, 6:00pm
12000 SE 82nd Ave., Portland, OR
Get your B&N exclusive edition of DRAGON BONES autographed the night before official release day! (It has two cool extras inside that you won’t want to miss!)
February 6, 2018
The Reading Bug, 4:30 p.m.
785 Laurel Street, San Carlos, CA
Official release day for Dragon Bones! Hope to see you there.
February 7, 2018
Salt Lake City, I can’t get enough of you. See you at:
The King’s English, 7:00 p.m.
1511 S. 1500 E, SLC, Utah
February 8, 2018
Pages Bookstore, 7:00p.m.
904 Manhattan Ave, Manhattan Beach, CA
There’s no place I’d rather be in February than back in beautiful Manhattan Beach. Hope you can make it!
February 9, 2018
Once Upon a Time Bookstore, 7:00 p.m.
2207 Honolulu Ave, Montrose, CA.
A fairytale ending to my week at a fabulous bookshop. Let’s hang out!
