Happy Holidays, Happy News

I'm delighted to be able to share that Jen Bonnell, my editor at Speak (Penguin), has offered me a contract on a third historical YA novel, to pub early in 2013!

Things are still evolving as I work but for the moment this story, tentatively titled Moll, is set in the racy and scandalous 1920s and centers on Jo, a teen girl caught in a web of lies, illegal activities, and family secrets. I love the '20s: a wild time of contrasts, new ideas, liberated (and over-the-top) behavior, gorgeous clothes, and lurking darkness (Hilter became Fuhrer of the Nazi Party in 1921; five million people died in a famine in Russia. And that's just a start.)

I'm anticipating the ARCs of my second YA, Forgiven, early in January. Forgiven is a companion novel to Faithful, and follows Kula Baker to San Francisco in 1906. When I have my hands on my copies, I'll be running a give-away contest, so stay tuned.


I'm so pleased with Faithful's success: nominated for the YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults list, nominated for a Cybils' award, an ALAN pick, and garnering some wonderful reviews. Thank you, sweet readers - I know you can't love every book that comes down the pike, and I appreciate your honesty - and those of you who've told me how much you do love Faithful, know that it means so much to hear.


And if you haven't finished that holiday shopping yet (note to self!), here's a little thought!

Happiest of holidays, everyone - I'll be back in January!