FRIDAYS REVEAL ON FRIDAY!

It's true, it just occurred to me that it's Friday, and I'm about to reveal the cover of FRIDAYS WITH THE WIZARDS! So exciting!

I love this cover, I think it might very well be my favorite. No . . . it is. It's my favorite. It's another beautiful painting by David Hohn. He's done all my Castle Glower covers, and he's the artist behind my amazing new covers on the DRAGON SLIPPERS trilogy. (True story: when he sent me the sketch for the cover of DRAGON SLIPPERS, I started to cry. It's my Shardas, and my Creel, and his beautiful windows!) David is fantastic, and he really tries to capture both the heart of the book, as well as highlighting the little details. On the cover of TUESDAYS, you will note that Celie is carrying her atlas and colored pencils, but did you also notice that the Castle is sort of leaning in above her? That's because, as David said, "It's giving her a hug." Couldn't you just die? Did you notice that on the cover of WEDNESDAYS, Rufus' paws are too big for him and his tail is longer than his body? He's clearly a young, gangly, growing griffin! So fantastic!

Well, this one does not disappoint.

It's based on an early design that David and I both loved for TUESDAYS, which seemed mysterious and exciting, but didn't really scream: First book in a new series! There's also some little details that I'll discuss after . . .

I . . .

reveal . . .

the . . .

awesome . . .

cover . . . !

Are . . .

you . . .

ready . . . ?

Are . . .

you . . .

sure . . . ?

Of . . .

course . . .

you . . .

are . . . !

Shall we now discuss how much we love it? Because we all love it a lot, right?

I mean, for heaven's sake, look at that griffin! That's Lord Griffin, by the way, and he is NOT HAPPY. Look at that expression! He's about to rip somebody apart like a worn out chew toy.

Look at Celie! We decided that since she's now about to turn thirteen, she needed a more grown up gown, and I just adore it!

And behind Lord Griffin we see Bran, in full wizardly regalia. And what's in Bran's hand? Well, I won't tell you, but it's really key to the story. Webmaster Mikey pointed it out to me first, and when I realized what it was, I started jumping up and down. YES! IT'S ON THE COVER!

So, I won't drop any more hints, because I know that they're maddening, but I will say that it comes out February 9th, 2016!

The State of Things to Come

The news is out, for those who read Publisher's Weekly!

But for those of you who don't, I thought I would give you the rundown of what books are coming from me, and when and with which publisher. That's right: after ten years with Bloomsbury, I've just signed a contract with Random House! This is for a brand new YA series that will start in 2016.

But what about Bloomsbury, who publish the Castle Glower books? you ask. Well, fear not! I will still be writing the Castle Glower series, and working with my dear friends at Bloomsbury on other books, too. A lot of people who saw the announcement that I'd signed a deal with Random House seemed to think that I had parted ways with Bloomsbury, and would not be writing any more Castle Glower books, which is why I thought I'd set the story straight.

I also thought I'd take the opportunity to answer some frequently asked questions!

This is what my publishing schedule looks like, as of today, February 16th, 2015:

July 7th, 2015: SILVER IN THE BLOOD, Bloomsbury, young adult
                         And please let me stress that this is indeed young adult or teen. I'm seeing a lot of              comments from people saying, "My daughter loves the Castle books! She'll be so excited!" This book is intended for teens, and skews older than any of my other books so far. It is not for my young fans of Princess Celie and her Castle. Please read responsibly!

February 2016: FRIDAYS WITH THE WIZARDS, Bloomsbury, middle grade
                         Yes, for those of you who were worried, I am continuing the adventures of Celie and her Castle!

Also in 2016, final date to be determined: STOLEN CROWNS #1
                        This is the first book in an exciting new YA series about the children of Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and other fairy tale royals. When their mothers are kidnapped, the teenaged sons and daughters go after them on a strange quest that will lead them all across their world!

2017: SATURDAYS WITH/IN/ON/AT SOMETHING
          As of right now, I'm planning on this being the last Castle Glower book. But don't worry: the ending will not leave you hanging! I will do my best to tie everything up very neatly so that they can live happily ever after!

2017: STOLEN CROWNS #2

Etc.

So, to answer your questions:

How many Castle Glower books will there be? As of right now: five.

How many STOLEN CROWNS books? I don't know. However many it takes.

Is STOLEN CROWNS #1 really the title of the book? Nope. It's the name of the series. The actual title is undetermined as of right now.

Whatever happened to HORSE BRIGADE? That book is done, the next next two are mapped out, and I just need to consult with my Bloomsbury editor (the first book is on a contract with them) about when it would fit into the schedule.

Is SILVER IN THE BLOOD part of a series?  Maybe! It's a solo adventure, but if it does well, I have other things in store for the characters! (The ones who survive, anyway. Heh heh heh.)

When will you write more DRAGON SLIPPERS books? Listen, I love the dragons as much as you do, but do you SEE this insane schedule? I'll get around to them one day, all right?

When will you write the other nine Princess books? First of all, I NEVER SAID THERE WOULD BE TWELVE BOOKS! Like, half of them are already married at this point! Second, I might write one more, but again, the schedule she is cray-cray, and we will just have to see!