Sarah Beth Durst's Blog, page 32
November 26, 2018
Signed Books
Signed books make great gifts!!! Good Choice Reading is hosting a virtual signing for several of my books. Order by 12/1, I'll sign and personalize, and they'll ship to you: www.gcreadingvs.com
Happy holidays!
November 5, 2018
FIRE AND HEIST Pre-Order Giveaway
Only a month until my next YA novel, FIRE AND HEIST, comes out! Eeeeeeeeee!!! In honor of this, I'm doing a pre-order giveaway. If you pre-order a copy of FIRE AND HEIST (hardcover or ebook) by 11:59pm EST on 12/3/2018, I'll send you an awesome dragon pin and a bookmark!
About the Book:
FIRE AND HEIST is a contemporary fantasy about a teen were-dragon who must steal her first treasure. But a dark discovery during her heist could put her family in incredible danger. Think Ocean's Eleven with were-dragons!
You can read the first chapter here: http://www.sarahbethdurst.com/FireandHeistexcerpt.htm
How to Enter:
1. Preorder FIRE AND HEIST (hardcover or ebook) by 11:59pm on 12/3/2018 from anywhere books are sold, such as:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Books-a-Million
Any independent bookstore
2. Email proof of pre-order to sarah@sarahbethdurst.com with the subject line "Fire and Heist Pre-order Campaign" and include your preferred mailing address (US addresses only, please).
Proof of pre-order can be a screenshot or a photo of your receipt or email order confirmation -- or, you know, anything that says you pre-ordered a copy of FIRE AND HEIST.
Pins are available only while supplies last.
Happy reading! And happy dragon-ing!
About the Book:
FIRE AND HEIST is a contemporary fantasy about a teen were-dragon who must steal her first treasure. But a dark discovery during her heist could put her family in incredible danger. Think Ocean's Eleven with were-dragons!
You can read the first chapter here: http://www.sarahbethdurst.com/FireandHeistexcerpt.htm
How to Enter:
1. Preorder FIRE AND HEIST (hardcover or ebook) by 11:59pm on 12/3/2018 from anywhere books are sold, such as:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Books-a-Million
Any independent bookstore
2. Email proof of pre-order to sarah@sarahbethdurst.com with the subject line "Fire and Heist Pre-order Campaign" and include your preferred mailing address (US addresses only, please).
Proof of pre-order can be a screenshot or a photo of your receipt or email order confirmation -- or, you know, anything that says you pre-ordered a copy of FIRE AND HEIST.
Pins are available only while supplies last.
Happy reading! And happy dragon-ing!
October 31, 2018
World Fantasy Convention 2018 Schedule
Very excited for one of my favorite cons this weekend: World Fantasy Convention! I'll be signing during the Mass Autographing on Fri at 8pm, and I'll be on the "Optimism in the New Dark Age" panel on Sun at noon. Hope to see you there! #WFC44 #WFC2018
October 26, 2018
Excerpt from FIRE AND HEIST
One of my favorite things to write is first chapters. And the first chapter of my next YA novel, FIRE AND HEIST (coming out 12/4), was one of my all-time favorites to write. Think Ocean's Eleven with were-dragons! You can read the excerpt here: http://www.sarahbethdurst.com/FireandHeistexcerpt.htm
October 14, 2018
Northborough Free Library
Had a very awesome day yesterday! I was invited to be the 150th anniversary guest author at the Northborough Free Library, my childhood library in Northborough, MA. It's no exaggeration to say that this place shaped the entire course of my life.
See those shelves on the back wall (below)? After I'd read everything in the children's room, my mom took my hand and walked me upstairs to those very shelves, where she introduced me to the Belgariad, the Dragonriders of Pern, the Sword of Shannara...
Also got to see a quilt hanging in the Northborough Library's Children's Room, which has a patch for my debut novel, INTO THE WILD!
And I toured around my old hometown a bit. Very happy to see the Agway rooster is still there. Also, the Northboro House of Pizza has the same old plastic sign it's had for my entire life, which is awesome.
When I was a kid, we spelled the town "Northboro." It got fancier after I left and is now "Northborough." Still the same Northboro of my heart, though. Love that town. Thanks so much to everyone who came to my book event and to the Northborough Library for inviting me!
See those shelves on the back wall (below)? After I'd read everything in the children's room, my mom took my hand and walked me upstairs to those very shelves, where she introduced me to the Belgariad, the Dragonriders of Pern, the Sword of Shannara...
Also got to see a quilt hanging in the Northborough Library's Children's Room, which has a patch for my debut novel, INTO THE WILD!
And I toured around my old hometown a bit. Very happy to see the Agway rooster is still there. Also, the Northboro House of Pizza has the same old plastic sign it's had for my entire life, which is awesome.
When I was a kid, we spelled the town "Northboro." It got fancier after I left and is now "Northborough." Still the same Northboro of my heart, though. Love that town. Thanks so much to everyone who came to my book event and to the Northborough Library for inviting me!
October 11, 2018
Book Event at Northborough Library (MA) on Saturday
This Saturday (10/13/18) at 10am, I'll be the 150th anniversary guest author at the Northborough Free Library in Northborough, Massachusetts (near Worcester, MA). This was my library when I was a kid -- it's the place where I first fell in love with books, as well as the library that appears in my debut novel, Into the Wild-- so I am beyond thrilled to be going back. Hope to see you there!
https://www.northboroughlibrary.org
The newspaper clipping below is from the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. That's me, age 4, as the literal poster child for kid-who-will-be-taking-out-a-ridiculous-number-of-library-books.
https://www.northboroughlibrary.org
The newspaper clipping below is from the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. That's me, age 4, as the literal poster child for kid-who-will-be-taking-out-a-ridiculous-number-of-library-books.
October 5, 2018
NYCC 2018 Schedule
Very excited for New York Comic Con this weekend!!! Here's my schedule:
SATURDAY 10/6
11am Signing at HarperCollins booth (#2118) - ARCs of THE DEEPEST BLUE!
SUNDAY 10/7
11am Signing at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt booth (#2008)
1:30pm "Weirdness Accessible" panel in room 1A18 with Edgar Cantero, Sarah Beth Durst, Christina Henry, Vivian Shaw, Margaret Stohl, and Maryelizabeth Yturralde
2:45pm Post-panel signing in Hall 1A, Autograph Area Table 1
Hope to see you there!
SATURDAY 10/6
11am Signing at HarperCollins booth (#2118) - ARCs of THE DEEPEST BLUE!
SUNDAY 10/7
11am Signing at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt booth (#2008)
1:30pm "Weirdness Accessible" panel in room 1A18 with Edgar Cantero, Sarah Beth Durst, Christina Henry, Vivian Shaw, Margaret Stohl, and Maryelizabeth Yturralde
2:45pm Post-panel signing in Hall 1A, Autograph Area Table 1
Hope to see you there!
October 4, 2018
Book Culture LIC Event
TONIGHT (10/4) at 7pm I'll be at Book Culture in Long Island City for a panel discussion and signing (and snacks!). If you're in the NYC area, hope to see you there!!!
https://www.bookculture.com/event/lic-choose-your-player-how-scifi-fantasy-authors-create-legendary-characters
Here's the official panel description:
Choose Your Player: How SciFi & Fantasy Authors Create Legendary Characters
"Whether it’s an iconic drow warrior, a thief with mystical ancestry, or a hitman from Hell, the heroes and anti-heroes that populate our favorite books are the reason we keep coming back for more of their adventures. Join R.A. Salvatore, Richard Kadrey, S.A. Chakraborty, Sarah Beth Durst, and David Pedreira for some hands-on character creation, followed by a panel discussion about the ins and outs of developing compelling characters in SFF. Light refreshments will be served."
https://www.bookculture.com/event/lic-choose-your-player-how-scifi-fantasy-authors-create-legendary-characters
Here's the official panel description:
Choose Your Player: How SciFi & Fantasy Authors Create Legendary Characters
"Whether it’s an iconic drow warrior, a thief with mystical ancestry, or a hitman from Hell, the heroes and anti-heroes that populate our favorite books are the reason we keep coming back for more of their adventures. Join R.A. Salvatore, Richard Kadrey, S.A. Chakraborty, Sarah Beth Durst, and David Pedreira for some hands-on character creation, followed by a panel discussion about the ins and outs of developing compelling characters in SFF. Light refreshments will be served."
September 14, 2018
Live Online Event for the Pixel Project
The Pixel Project is teaming up with 15 authors this fall in a campaign to stop violence against women. It's called #Read4Pixels and their mission is something I believe in very strongly: "It's time to stop violence against women. Together."
So tonight (Friday 9/14/18), starting at 8:30pm ET, I'll be live online with the Pixel Project, reading from my 3 upcoming books (THE DEEPEST BLUE, FIRE & HEIST, and SPARK) and doing a real-time Q&A. It will stream here:
https://youtu.be/OkYf1L1CIrI
This will be my first time ever reading from these 3 books to anyone but my cat. And it will also be my very first live online event! Eeeeeeeeeee!! Very excited! And a little nervous. :)
I hope you can come join me!
You're 100% welcome to just listen along, but if you'd like to join in and ask questions during my live event, all you have to do is log into a YouTube account. Here are instructions: http://reveal.thepixelproject.net/voices-and-videos/read-for-pixels/google-hangout-schedule-attending-google-hangouts/
And please also check out the Read For Pixels fundraiser from the Pixel Project at https://thepixelproject.rallyup.com/readforpixels2018 to support stopping violence against women. Lots of book bundles and other goodies are available, including signed hardcover editions of all three books in The Queens of Renthia!
So tonight (Friday 9/14/18), starting at 8:30pm ET, I'll be live online with the Pixel Project, reading from my 3 upcoming books (THE DEEPEST BLUE, FIRE & HEIST, and SPARK) and doing a real-time Q&A. It will stream here:
https://youtu.be/OkYf1L1CIrI
This will be my first time ever reading from these 3 books to anyone but my cat. And it will also be my very first live online event! Eeeeeeeeeee!! Very excited! And a little nervous. :)
I hope you can come join me!
You're 100% welcome to just listen along, but if you'd like to join in and ask questions during my live event, all you have to do is log into a YouTube account. Here are instructions: http://reveal.thepixelproject.net/voices-and-videos/read-for-pixels/google-hangout-schedule-attending-google-hangouts/
And please also check out the Read For Pixels fundraiser from the Pixel Project at https://thepixelproject.rallyup.com/readforpixels2018 to support stopping violence against women. Lots of book bundles and other goodies are available, including signed hardcover editions of all three books in The Queens of Renthia!
September 7, 2018
Cover Reveal for THE DEEPEST BLUE
I am so excited to share with you the cover for my upcoming novel, THE DEEPEST BLUE!!!
I love the moment a book gets its cover. Suddenly it feels so much more real -- like the story is walking out of my imagination and into the world. And I am so extremely excited for THE DEEPEST BLUE to be heading into the world because I loved writing it so much.
THE DEEPEST BLUE is set on the islands of Belene, a string of islands besieged by a capricious ocean full of malicious spirits. Mayara, one of the fearless oyster divers, is about to marry the love of her life when an unnatural storm hits her island, and wild spirits from the sea ravage her village.
To save her loved ones, Mayara reveals a dangerous secret: she has the power to control the spirits. When the storm ends, she is taken into custody by the queen's soldiers and is sent, along with other women like her, to an island filled with bloodthirsty nature spirits, and left without food, water, shelter, or any tools except their own instincts and magic. Whoever survives the Island of Testing will be declared heirs to the queen.
As the text at the top of the cover says, THE DEEPEST BLUE is a Tale of Renthia, which means it's a brand new story with brand new characters, a standalone epic fantasy set in the world of Renthia but in a different country than the Queens of Renthia trilogy. You don't have to have read the Queens trilogy to read this book -- though readers who have will recognize one familiar face!
When we were talking about what to put on the cover, my editor at Harper Voyager asked me to send a description of the three deadliest sea monsters in the story. This is what I sent him:
"Three of them woke, giant monsters that dwarfed imagination. One was shaped like a dragon with a scaly serpent's body, blackened wings, and eyes that were white-hot embers. Another was a kraken, with tentacles the thickness of a ship's hull. And the third was a many-headed snake, with a body that could wrap around the city of Yena."
As you can see, the artist and designer took this description and ran with it. I am absolutely in awe of the glorious gorgeousness of their work! Thank you so much to Larry Rostant, the amazing artist who created the magnificent medallion of my leviathans, and to Elsie Lyons, who designed the cover, as well as everyone else at HarperCollins who was involved in its creation. I am so very grateful and thrilled to have such a gorgeous cover and to be able to share it with you today!
THE DEEPEST BLUE comes out on March 19, 2019, from Harper Voyager.
https://www.harpervoyagerbooks.com/sarah-beth-durst-on-the-cover-for-the-deepest-blue/
http://www.sarahbethdurst.com/DeepestBlue.htm
I love the moment a book gets its cover. Suddenly it feels so much more real -- like the story is walking out of my imagination and into the world. And I am so extremely excited for THE DEEPEST BLUE to be heading into the world because I loved writing it so much.
THE DEEPEST BLUE is set on the islands of Belene, a string of islands besieged by a capricious ocean full of malicious spirits. Mayara, one of the fearless oyster divers, is about to marry the love of her life when an unnatural storm hits her island, and wild spirits from the sea ravage her village.
To save her loved ones, Mayara reveals a dangerous secret: she has the power to control the spirits. When the storm ends, she is taken into custody by the queen's soldiers and is sent, along with other women like her, to an island filled with bloodthirsty nature spirits, and left without food, water, shelter, or any tools except their own instincts and magic. Whoever survives the Island of Testing will be declared heirs to the queen.
As the text at the top of the cover says, THE DEEPEST BLUE is a Tale of Renthia, which means it's a brand new story with brand new characters, a standalone epic fantasy set in the world of Renthia but in a different country than the Queens of Renthia trilogy. You don't have to have read the Queens trilogy to read this book -- though readers who have will recognize one familiar face!
When we were talking about what to put on the cover, my editor at Harper Voyager asked me to send a description of the three deadliest sea monsters in the story. This is what I sent him:
"Three of them woke, giant monsters that dwarfed imagination. One was shaped like a dragon with a scaly serpent's body, blackened wings, and eyes that were white-hot embers. Another was a kraken, with tentacles the thickness of a ship's hull. And the third was a many-headed snake, with a body that could wrap around the city of Yena."
As you can see, the artist and designer took this description and ran with it. I am absolutely in awe of the glorious gorgeousness of their work! Thank you so much to Larry Rostant, the amazing artist who created the magnificent medallion of my leviathans, and to Elsie Lyons, who designed the cover, as well as everyone else at HarperCollins who was involved in its creation. I am so very grateful and thrilled to have such a gorgeous cover and to be able to share it with you today!
THE DEEPEST BLUE comes out on March 19, 2019, from Harper Voyager.
https://www.harpervoyagerbooks.com/sarah-beth-durst-on-the-cover-for-the-deepest-blue/
http://www.sarahbethdurst.com/DeepestBlue.htm
