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Last week The Playwright and I went to the small cemetery where several of his family members are buried. We were on a slightly strange, sad errand to photograph family headstones, so that his parents can decide on a headstone for his dad – one in a series of strange, sad errands that one participates in when a family member is dying. Anyway, we were wandering the cemetery looking for the family tombstones, but we weren’t sure where they were, so it involved a lot of meandering around. I didn’t mind because I love cemeteries, especially older ones. There are so many stories in them. Sometimes I take a notebook with me so I can jot down interesting historical names or evocative surnames. Last week I stumbled upon something even better: these four headstones. They were old. Blackened and partially sunken, the design identical save the names and dates. Engraved on the... Read More

  Today we are also celebrating the release of J.R. Johansson’s INSOMNIA. They say:   It’s been four years since I slept, and I suspect it is killing me. Instead of sleeping, Parker Chipp enters the dream of the last person he’s had eye contact with. He spends his nights crushed by other people’s fear and pain, by their disturbing secrets—and Parker can never have dreams of his own. The severe exhaustion is crippling him. If nothing changes, Parker could soon be facing psychosis and even death. Then he meets Mia. Her dreams, calm and beautifully uncomplicated, allow him blissful rest that is utterly addictive. Parker starts going to bizarre lengths to catch Mia’s eye every day. Everyone at school thinks he’s gone over the edge, even his best friend. And when Mia is threatened by a true stalker, everyone thinks it’s Parker. Suffering blackouts, Parker begins to wonder if he is... Read More

Today we’re celebrating the release of Kate Karyus Quinn’s ANOTHER LITTLE PIECE! They say:   The spine-tingling horror of Stephen King meets an eerie mystery worthy of Sara Shepard’s PRETTY LITTLE LIARS series in Kate Karyus Quinn’s haunting debut. On a cool autumn night, Annaliese Rose Gordon stumbled out of the woods and into a high school party. She was screaming. Drenched in blood. Then she vanished. A year later, Annaliese is found wandering down a road hundreds of miles away. She doesn’t know who she is. She doesn’t know how she got there. She only knows one thing: She is not the real Annaliese Rose Gordon. Now Annaliese is haunted by strange visions and broken memories. Memories of a reckless, desperate wish . . . a bloody razor . . . and the faces of other girls who disappeared. Piece by piece, Annaliese’s fractured memories come together to reveal a violent,... Read More

Hi! First of all – thank you so much for all the lovely, supportive comments on the blog and on Facebook and Twitter. The Playwright and I really appreciate all your prayers and hugs and love. His dad is hanging in there and so are we. Second, the STAR CURSED blog tour kicked off this week! In case you missed any stops, you can find them here: June 3 – Good Books & Good Wine – behind-the-scenes info about the very beginning June 4 – Ex Libris Kate – introducing my favorite new character, Rilla June 5 – Mundie Moms – introducing a villainous new Brother June 6 – Presenting Lenore – an intriguing new development, plus a bit about Brenna June 7 – Hobbitsies – in which Sachi and Rory are in major trouble STAR CURSED has also gotten some really lovely reviews. Booklist calls it a riveting paranormal-historical fiction adventure whose outcome readers will absolutely refuse to accept without... Read More

Hi! First – check out today’s stop on the STAR CURSED blog tour over at Ex Libris Kate! You can find out the secret behind the name of my favorite new character. Now – today we’re celebrating the release of Melanie Crowder’s PARCHED! They say:   A mesmerizing debut middle-grade novel about a boy, a girl, and a dog struggling to survive in a land without water. “Brutally beautiful, this is a story that both inspires and sounds an alarm, a story of courage and heart. Just like Musa’s ability to tap into water, it asks us to tap into our own humanity, even though it might be more deeply hidden than we can imagine.”—Kathi Appelt, Newbery Honor-winning author of THE UNDERNEATH “A thrilling, imaginative soul quencher. Crowder’s stunning debut is sure to become a modern classic.”—Rita Williams-Garcia, Newbery Honor-winning author of ONE CRAZY SUMMER “Spare, unflinching, and beautifully written, this novel walks the... Read More