Sarah Beth Durst's Blog, page 35
April 5, 2018
My C2E2 2018 Schedule
I'll be at C2E2 (Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo) this Friday and Saturday (4/6-4/7). Can't wait!!! Here's my schedule:
FRIDAY
1:45-2:45pm Panel "Strong Female Voices in Speculative Fiction" in Room S405b with Rachel Aaron, Sarah Beth Durst, Tricia Levenseller, and Laura Sebastian
3-4pm Signing at Table 35-36
5:15-6:15pm Panel "Harry Potter 20th Anniversary Panel: Two Decades of Magic" in Room S401 with Joe Dragunas, Sarah Beth Durst, Lucy Knisley, and Veronica Roth
SATURDAY
11-11:30am Signing at HarperCollins booth #518 (free copies of THE QUEEN OF BLOOD)
1:30-2:30pm Panel "Join the Rebellion: Kickass Heroines Shake-Up the Status Quo" in Room S405b with Sarah Beth Durst, Christina Henry, Justina Ireland, and Rebecca Ross
3-4pm Signing at Table 35-36
If you're going to be at C2E2, stop by and say hi!
FRIDAY
1:45-2:45pm Panel "Strong Female Voices in Speculative Fiction" in Room S405b with Rachel Aaron, Sarah Beth Durst, Tricia Levenseller, and Laura Sebastian
3-4pm Signing at Table 35-36
5:15-6:15pm Panel "Harry Potter 20th Anniversary Panel: Two Decades of Magic" in Room S401 with Joe Dragunas, Sarah Beth Durst, Lucy Knisley, and Veronica Roth
SATURDAY
11-11:30am Signing at HarperCollins booth #518 (free copies of THE QUEEN OF BLOOD)
1:30-2:30pm Panel "Join the Rebellion: Kickass Heroines Shake-Up the Status Quo" in Room S405b with Sarah Beth Durst, Christina Henry, Justina Ireland, and Rebecca Ross
3-4pm Signing at Table 35-36
If you're going to be at C2E2, stop by and say hi!
April 3, 2018
THE STONE GIRL'S STORY comes out today!!!
I am beyond thrilled to announce that today is the pub day for THE STONE GIRL'S STORY, my fifteenth book!!! It's a fantasy adventure for kids, published by Clarion Books / Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Makya is a girl made of living stone. Forever twelve years old, she has outlasted the father who carved her and engraved her body with the stories that gave her life. But now the magical marks that animate her and her stone friends are fading, and she must leave her home for the first time to find help if she wants her story -- and those of her friends -- to continue.
This book is very special to me, because it's a story about stories.
I spent my childhood telling myself stories: every Barbie doll was given a quest, every paper airplane had its own family, and every stuffed creature I could cram onto my crowded bed had a backstory, dramatic adventures, and a redemption arc.
When I realized at age ten that writers are people -- ordinary people -- my world changed. I began obsessively chasing stories, collecting cool names for characters as if hoarding Halloween candy, squirreling away scraps of paper and spending hours drawing maps of fantastical lands. And I wrote story after story after story, at first filling notebooks decorated with Lisa Frank unicorn stickers and later filling the hard drive of my laptop…until eventually, through the sheer stubbornness of not stopping, I became a writer. It is the only thing I have ever wanted to be.
Stories are as essential to life as food, water, and shelter. They’re how we understand the world and ourselves. They comfort, challenge, and change us. They have the power to save us in dark times, and they can give us the tools to save ourselves. I wrote THE STONE GIRL'S STORY for everyone who wants to shape the story of their life, who chooses to control the narrative of their destiny, who believes that stories have power. And at its heart, this book is the story of a girl learning to become a writer. Which is why it means so much to me.
For more about THE STONE GIRL'S STORY, including the first two chapters, please visit my website. I had so much fun writing Mayka's story and am so happy to be able to share it with you!
Makya is a girl made of living stone. Forever twelve years old, she has outlasted the father who carved her and engraved her body with the stories that gave her life. But now the magical marks that animate her and her stone friends are fading, and she must leave her home for the first time to find help if she wants her story -- and those of her friends -- to continue.
This book is very special to me, because it's a story about stories.
I spent my childhood telling myself stories: every Barbie doll was given a quest, every paper airplane had its own family, and every stuffed creature I could cram onto my crowded bed had a backstory, dramatic adventures, and a redemption arc.
When I realized at age ten that writers are people -- ordinary people -- my world changed. I began obsessively chasing stories, collecting cool names for characters as if hoarding Halloween candy, squirreling away scraps of paper and spending hours drawing maps of fantastical lands. And I wrote story after story after story, at first filling notebooks decorated with Lisa Frank unicorn stickers and later filling the hard drive of my laptop…until eventually, through the sheer stubbornness of not stopping, I became a writer. It is the only thing I have ever wanted to be.
Stories are as essential to life as food, water, and shelter. They’re how we understand the world and ourselves. They comfort, challenge, and change us. They have the power to save us in dark times, and they can give us the tools to save ourselves. I wrote THE STONE GIRL'S STORY for everyone who wants to shape the story of their life, who chooses to control the narrative of their destiny, who believes that stories have power. And at its heart, this book is the story of a girl learning to become a writer. Which is why it means so much to me.
For more about THE STONE GIRL'S STORY, including the first two chapters, please visit my website. I had so much fun writing Mayka's story and am so happy to be able to share it with you!
March 29, 2018
5 Days Until Pub Day!
5 days until pub day for THE STONE GIRL'S STORY! I'm getting excited! And nervous. And terrified. And mildly nauseous. But mostly excited!
http://www.sarahbethdurst.com/StoneGirl.htm
http://www.sarahbethdurst.com/StoneGirl.htm
March 26, 2018
Excerpt of The Stone Girl's Story
Excerpt of THE STONE GIRL'S STORY now live! Just posted the first two chapters of my forthcoming middle-grade fantasy book, coming out on 4/3 from Clarion/HMH! Click through for a sneak peek and meet Mayka, a girl of living stone!
http://www.sarahbethdurst.com/StoneGirlexcerpt.htm
http://www.sarahbethdurst.com/StoneGirlexcerpt.htm
March 19, 2018
Starred Publishers Weekly Review for THE QUEEN OF SORROW!
Eeeeeeeee!!! A starred review for THE QUEEN OF SORROW, the 3rd (and final) book of my epic fantasy trilogy The Queens of Renthia (coming 5/15 from Harper Voyager)! Thank you, Publishers Weekly! I'm so thrilled and so grateful and so excited!
https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780062413383
https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780062413383
March 15, 2018
Cover Reveal for FIRE AND HEIST
COVER REVEAL!!! I am so excited to share with you the cover for my next YA novel, FIRE & HEIST!!! Thank you to cover artist Stuart Wade from Diligence Studio, cover designer Ray Shappell, and all the awesome people at Crown / Penguin Random House for creating such awesomeness!
FIRE & HEIST is a YA contemporary fantasy -- Think Ocean's Eleven with were-dragons! It comes out on Dec 4, 2018. Here's the official description:
Fans of Cassandra Clare and Julie Kagawa will devour this 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.
In Sky Hawkins's family, leading your first heist is a major milestone -- even more so than learning to talk, walk, or do long division. It's a chance to gain power and acceptance within your family, and within society. But stealing your first treasure can be complicated, especially when you're a wyvern -- a human capable of turning into a dragon.
Embarking on a life of crime is never easy, and Sky discovers secrets about her mother, who recently went missing, the real reason her boyfriend broke up with her, and a valuable jewel that could restore her family's wealth and rank in their community.
With a handpicked crew by her side, Sky knows she has everything she needs to complete her first heist, and get her boyfriend and mother back in the process. But then she uncovers a dark truth about were-dragon society -- a truth more valuable and dangerous than gold or jewels could ever be.
Can't wait for everyone to meet Sky!!!
http://sarahbethdurst.com/FireandHeist.htm
FIRE & HEIST is a YA contemporary fantasy -- Think Ocean's Eleven with were-dragons! It comes out on Dec 4, 2018. Here's the official description:Fans of Cassandra Clare and Julie Kagawa will devour this 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.
In Sky Hawkins's family, leading your first heist is a major milestone -- even more so than learning to talk, walk, or do long division. It's a chance to gain power and acceptance within your family, and within society. But stealing your first treasure can be complicated, especially when you're a wyvern -- a human capable of turning into a dragon.
Embarking on a life of crime is never easy, and Sky discovers secrets about her mother, who recently went missing, the real reason her boyfriend broke up with her, and a valuable jewel that could restore her family's wealth and rank in their community.
With a handpicked crew by her side, Sky knows she has everything she needs to complete her first heist, and get her boyfriend and mother back in the process. But then she uncovers a dark truth about were-dragon society -- a truth more valuable and dangerous than gold or jewels could ever be.
Can't wait for everyone to meet Sky!!!
http://sarahbethdurst.com/FireandHeist.htm
March 9, 2018
A Lovely Gift from My Editor
Got the loveliest gift from my wonderful editor Anne Hoppe at Clarion/HMH! A shiny new hardcover of my next MG book, THE STONE GIRL'S STORY, hot off the presses!!! This is the first time I've held a copy in my hands, and I just want to sit here and pet it! Comes out 4/3/18!
February 26, 2018
2nd Star for THE STONE GIRL'S STORY!
Eeeeep!!! A 2nd STARRED REVIEW for my new middle grade book, THE STONE GIRL'S STORY! Thank you, Publishers Weekly! This is very happy making.
https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-328-72945-3
https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-328-72945-3
February 12, 2018
THE QUEEN OF BLOOD eBook Sale
Over the next 2 weeks, the ebook of THE QUEEN OF BLOOD is super cheap, just $1.99! This is Book 1 of my epic fantasy trilogy, The Queens of Renthia. If you've ever wanted to dive in, now is a great time. Trilogy concludes with Book 3 in May! https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062413369/the-queen-of-blood
January 30, 2018
Paperback Release Day for THE RELUCTANT QUEEN!!!
So excited that today is the paperback release day for THE RELUCTANT QUEEN, Book Two of The Queens of Renthia!!! My cat Gwen is excited too!
https://www.amazon.com/Reluctant-Queen-Book-Queens-Renthia/dp/0062474111
https://www.amazon.com/Reluctant-Queen-Book-Queens-Renthia/dp/0062474111
