New Book Deal Announced! Introducing HEARTLESS

If you weren’t on Twitter tonight you may not know that I got to announce some BIG NEWS at the first Fierce Reads event: My new book deal has been announced!

 

Title: HEARTLESS

 

Teaser summary: A prequel to “Alice in Wonderland,” HEARTLESS will tell the tale of how a marquis’s teenage daughter became the infamous Queen of Hearts. It will be a story of whimsy and madness, passion and tragedy, ravens and writing desks.

 

 

 

I’ll post the “official” Publisher’s Weekly deal announcement when I have it. Until then . . . have some Q&A:

 

Is this the Super Secret Nano Project of 2012?

Yes! Yes it is! Here, have some 10-month-old and no-longer-entirely-accurate statistics: http://www.marissameyer.com/blogtype/secret-nano-project-stats/

 

When will it be released?

HEARTLESS is tentatively scheduled to release in the fall of 2015 – after WINTER.

 

Where did you get the idea?

I absolutely loved Wicked by Gregory Maguire – both the book and the musical. A few years ago, right after Cinder sold, I was having lunch with my agent and talking about fairy tale retellings. I brought up Wicked and Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister and mentioned that I thought it would be awesome of Mr. Maguire told the story of the Queen of Hearts. My foreign rights agent—smart cookie that she is—said, “Well, why don’t you write it?”

 

And I thought, Challenge Accepted.

 

Will it be a stand-alone or the start of a series?

Right now I’m pretty sure it will only be a stand-alone, although I’m trying to keep my mind open for possible companion titles in the future. That said, the book that will follow HEARTLESS, for which I have a few ideas, will almost certainly kick off a new series.

 

Do you have a Pinterest inspiration board?

Oh good heavens, do I ever! http://www.pinterest.com/marissameyer22/heartless/

 

Will the book include other beloved Wonderland characters?

Absolutely, but I can’t tell you who, or what role they’ll play. That said, the fore-mentioned Pinterest board gives a few hints.

 

What is the queen’s name?

Miss Catherine Cordula, daughter of the Marquis of Rock Turtle Cove. (Subject to change.)

 

Have you ever cosplayed the Queen of Hearts?

Yes! Yes I have! In college I dressed up as the Queen for a Halloween group costume contest. (Hint: We won. Bam.) I’ll try to find a picture when I get home from tour.

 

Does your Mom collect “Alice in Wonderland” stuff and have an honest-to-goodness “Alice in Wonderland” Christmas tree every year?

Why, as a matter of fact, she does! (See where I get it from?) I’ll try to get pictures of that too.

 

Anything else to add?

I’m crazy-mad about this story, you guys, and cannot wait for you to read it! *squishes all the readers*